Opposites Attract
by nineteen90
Summary: Draco and Seamus both end up housebound at Grimmauld Place following multiple attempts by Death Eaters to capture Draco. This first story focuses on Draco's unexpected infatuation with the Irish lad and what happens when his feelings are requited by Seamus. DM/SF slash.
1. Chapter 1

All characters belong to J.K. Rowling of course, I own nothing.

This is fairly canon compliant but please don't expect all details to be totally accurate. Some parts may be based on what happened in the movies rather than the books.

I've decided to split my original story into smaller segments. This first part focuses on the set-up of Draco and Seamus's relationship, therefore it won't be particularly slash-heavy. The sequel, however, will include more on the romantic aspect of their relationship. I'd love for you to read this story - romance is still its main element. I just don't want anybody to be disappointed if they're expecting 20,000 words of intense slash-y smut.

* * *

><p>Draco sprinted down one of the dark wood staircases of Malfoy Manor, racing blindly towards the front door. Light from the tip of his wand barely illuminated the path in front of him. Following in pursuit were red sparks bouncing off the walls and cackling laughter, both coming from the three Death Eaters who had avoided capture by the Ministry of Magic. That evening they had come out of hiding to visit Malfoy Manor, although their arrival had not been welcome. Now they chased Draco throughout the house, leaving a path of destruction in their wake.<p>

Draco whipped around the corners of the hallways, narrowly avoiding the curses thrown by the Death Eaters. Narcissa's screams for Draco from the entranceway echoed throughout the house, shrill and chilling. When Draco rounded the last corner he saw her standing with her wand raised high, throwing light around the darkened, marble-floored room. His chest heaved as he gasped for air. Ignoring the burning pain in his lungs, Draco dashed the final distance towards his mother's outstretched arm. As their hands connected, Narcissa disapparated them both with a booming _crack_.

The street they appeared on was dimly lit and damp. Draco stumbled slightly and tried to push down the feeling of nausea rising in his stomach. Something cold and wet was soaking into his socks, making his nose crinkle in discomfort. He glanced down and shuddered. He'd stepped into the middle of a murky puddle. Trying to ignore his sopping feet, Draco looked around the street. To his right loomed a row of attached brick houses while opposite was an iron-fenced park. Narcissa turned to Draco and squeezed his hand. 'I'm afraid this may be the only place you're safe and welcome now,' she said. 'We are in debt to Potter already, but where else was I to take you?' She let his hand fall to his side.

Draco raised an eyebrow, confused. 'Potter?'

'I must return home and stop them from coming after you. Be safe, Draco.'

'What? No!'

Before Draco could grab Narcissa's hand again, she was gone. He shuffled back a couple of steps into the empty street and ran a hand through his hair. Narcissa had gone back home to face three Death Eaters alone; it was a sure death sentence. So why do it? Could she have not have taken them to the Ministry? That way both mother and son could have been safe. Draco knew the reasoning behind her decision. How could his mother trust the very establishment that had attempted to send her teenage son to Azkaban and succeeded in sending her husband there? Still, why did she have to whisk Draco away? As doomed as the two of them would have been fighting the three Death Eaters, he would have chosen that option over his mother facing the danger herself.

A chill breeze blew down the street, rustling leaves on the trees and making the hair on Draco's arms stand on end. He had barely had time to pull on a pair of trousers and a shirt after being woken by the crashing noises of windows shattering and walls being blasted to pieces. What he needed now was a winter coat despite it only being the end of August. He peered up and down the street but didn't recognise where he was. What was he to do now? Draco couldn't yet apparate, he'd not yet had enough practise. Adrenaline was still coursing through his body and his mind was buzzing, even if he could apparate he'd probably splice himself into a hundred pieces. Wait, hadn't his mother mentioned Potter before she left? What did he have to do with this?

'Oi! What do you think you're doing here?'

Draco recognised that thick Irish drawl. He cringed. This wasn't good. He turned to see Seamus Finnigan marching towards him, dressed in black and with a rosy tint to his cheeks.

Draco pulled himself up to his full height and took a deep breath, collecting himself. 'I can explain, Finnigan,' Draco replied. He could not help but glance up and down the street again, eyes searching for black-cloaked figures and red sparks.

'No need, Malfoy. You're spying on Harry, aren't you? Even after all he did for you, stopping you being sent to Azkaban.'

Draco's brow furrowed before understanding dawned on him. His mother had dropped him off at Harry's house. The apparition-induced nausea transformed into anxiety at the thought of having to see Harry. After Harry had defended him at his trial he would much rather have returned to the Ministry to face the Wizengamot again than ask Harry for more help.

'No,' Draco sighed. 'Look, it's not like that.'

'Don't try and weasel your way out of this,' Seamus growled. 'I know what you were doing.'

A loud crack sounded behind Seamus. Draco felt his heart jump. He stumbled backwards, eyes wide and wand raised. It took a couple of moments for him to realise that it wasn't a Death Eater standing before him but rather Hermione carrying a basket covered in a tea towel. She looked nearly as surprised as Draco, though she recovered quicker.

'Malfoy? What are you doing here?'

'Spying,' Seamus answered.

Draco inhaled deeply, trying to control himself. His pulse was still racing. Slowly, he lowered his wand and exhaled. 'I was not spying. My mother brought me here.'

Hermione's eyebrows furrowed further. 'Uh, why?'

'A couple of Death Eaters decided to attack our house and attempt to…'

Draco's voice wavered and trailed off. He had not yet had time to process what had actually brought the Death Eaters to Malfoy Manor. Thinking back to what he remembered of their yells and threats, it only took a moment for him to figure out what they had wanted. 'They were going to kill us,' he finished, glancing downwards.

Seamus followed Draco's eyes and spotted that Draco was standing in his socks. When he looked back up his face had lost its confrontational glare but he still refused to believe Draco. He crossed his arms over his chest and snorted. 'Likely story…'

'And where is she now?' Hermione interrupted. Her expression was one of concern.

Draco bit his lip. 'She went back home.'

Hermione's eyes grew wide. 'We need to get a message to the Ministry at once. Come on, we'd better let Harry know.' She hurried off towards the house at number twelve while Draco and Seamus remained in the middle of the street. Seamus was obviously still suspicious of Draco.

'We can't just let him into Harry's house,' Seamus called over his shoulder.

Hermione stopped and spun around. 'We can't leave him out here, Seamus. Death Eaters, remember? And his mother's in danger. The sooner the Ministry knows where they are, the sooner they get caught.'

'But…'

'For goodness sake, he can wait on the doorstep if it'll make you feel better. Actually, Harry can decide whether he lets Malfoy into his house or not. Both of you should at least get off the street. Unless you've forgotten, here in the Muggle world there are these things called cars and around London they're not very forgiving of pedestrians who get in their way.'

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><p>Draco stood on the doorstep of twelve Grimmauld Place while Hermione and Seamus disappeared inside. From the end of the corridor warm light was visible around the edge of the kitchen door. When Hermione opened it, voices and laughter floated towards the street. The noise died away as Hermione spoke, and a moment later Harry popped his head around the doorframe.<p>

He stepped up to the front door, eyebrows slightly furrowed. 'Come in,' he said evenly, not giving away any emotions he felt at Draco's unexpected arrival, apart from perhaps confusion. 'You can wait in the study.'

The study was cold and dark. Harry flicked his wand at the lamps upon the walls, which emitted a dim glow across the room. Draco wandered inside a couple of steps and then turned back. Harry stood in the doorway, Hermione and Seamus behind him. Whoever else was in the kitchen was now silent, hoping to catch any snippet of conversation.

'Hermione said your house was attacked by Death Eaters,' Harry started.

Draco nodded.

'And your mother is still there?'

'Yes.'

'I'll notify the Ministry. You might as well take a seat.'

Harry headed upstairs, his footsteps thudding on the old staircase. Draco did not move but stared at the floor, feeling awkward and uncomfortable. Hermione put a hand on Seamus' shoulder and guided him into the kitchen, shutting the door behind them. When Harry reappeared Draco had only moved about five steps towards the couch. He felt very out of place and his socks were still wet.

'Aurors are being sent to your house right now,' Harry informed him. 'One will come back here once the situation has been assessed.'

Draco glanced at Harry and met his eye for a moment. He nodded and returned his gaze to the floor.

'Sit,' Harry insisted. 'They'll probably take a while. By the way, it'll be best if you stay out of the kitchen. You see we're having a get-together before Hermione, Dean and Ginny return to Hogwarts and Ron and I start auror training.' Harry scratched a spot on his head and pursed his lips, thinking of the right words to say. 'I don't believe you're still the bad guy we knew at Hogwarts all those years, but everybody next door has been bullied or hurt by you in some way or another. Maybe one day they'll come to forgive you, but I don't think they're ready just yet.'

Draco felt Harry's eyes on him. He looked up to meet Harry's gaze once more, wondering what had spawned this forgiveness of his past actions. Draco hadn't seen Harry since his trial in front of the Wizengamot. He had been unsure whether Harry truly believed the words he had said or if it was just another act of Gryffindor heroism. Now it seemed he may have been more truthful than Draco had given him credit for.

'If you ever need anybody, I'm here,' Harry continued. 'And one day, if you show them that you've changed, maybe the others will be there for you too. From what I've heard the Slytherins have deserted each other, but you don't have to be friendless forever.'

Draco raised an eyebrow. He supposed Harry's words at his trial had been genuine. A rush of hope ran through Draco's body, momentarily alleviating his anxiety and discomfort. For the first time in months he no longer felt completely alone.

'Light the fire if you want, you must be cold. And feel free to have a look through the books, too. You might be here a while.' Harry's eyes dropped to the wet footprints on the floor. 'Maybe a drying spell?'

'Oh, yeah. Good idea.' He nodded at Harry, hoping the action might convey his true appreciation for what Harry had said before, as he knew he couldn't find the words to express himself. A quick nod in reply confirmed to Draco that Harry understood.

Harry retreated towards the kitchen but stopped in the study's doorway. 'I hope your mother's ok.'

Draco smiled faintly. 'Thanks.'

* * *

><p>An hour later a knock came at the front door. Harry greeted Kingsley and welcomed him into the house. From the study Draco could hear Harry and Kinglsey's hushed conversation. Kingsley, despite not working in the relevant department for Draco's case, had been sent to Grimmauld Place due mainly to him being available. It sounded as if a lot of aurors had been sent to Malfoy Manor, as capturing the last Death Eaters was very important to the Ministry.<p>

In the study, Kingsley greeted Draco with a firm handshake.

'Is my mother ok?' Draco asked, too concerned to be bothered with formalities. Over the past hour he had become nearly overwhelmed with nausea and worry for Narcissa' safety.

Kingsley's face was grim. 'Please have a seat, Mr Malfoy.'

Draco perched on the edge of the couch and opposite sat Kinglsey in a large armchair. Harry faltered a moment before taking a seat next to Draco. Out the corner of his eye, Draco noticed somebody else in the room. Hermione had silently joined them, now standing beside Harry. She stared hard at Kingsley with a slightly frown on her face, awaiting information. No wonder she was going to try and solve the case before the Ministry's aurors.

'Mr Malfoy,' Kingsley began, 'I'm afraid to say that our aurors did not find your mother at your residence. By the time we arrived neither she nor the Death Eaters were still there. We are currently searching for them as best we can.'

Draco's head started to spin. He muttered a vague acknowledgment of his mother's disappearance.

'I would like to ask you some questions, if that's ok.'

Draco propped his elbows on his knees and rested his head in his hands, unable to keep up his usual pretence of collectedness. He didn't care what Harry or Hermione thought of him now, his world was falling apart. Dread settled in his stomach like a brick. He agreed to answer Kingsley's questions anyway.

'Could you describe the nature of the Death Eater's 'attack' on your residence?'

Draco's head shot up. 'We weren't expecting them, if that's what you mean,' he hissed. Kingsley stared back calmly at Draco, which immediately made him feel guilty. That's not what the auror had meant at all; Draco had misinterpreted the tone of his voice.

It was hard not to expect that everybody distrusted him, few people trusted the Malfoys even before the war. Draco sighed and continued in a softer tone. 'I woke up and they were blasting our house to pieces. I heard my mother calling from the entranceway, so I ran to her. The Death Eaters found me and chased me through the house, three of them, I believe. When I reached my mother she disapparated us and left me here.'

'Then she returned to your residence?'

Draco nodded, unable to verbally affirm his mother's dangerous action.

'And do you have any idea what these Death Eaters may have wanted from you or your mother?'

'We're traitors. In the eyes of Death Eaters, being a traitor to any degree is deserving of nothing less than death. They were there to give us what we deserved.'

Kingsley nodded thoughtfully, his eyes on Draco. If Draco had not returned his head it his hands he may have noticed the expression of sympathy on Kingsley's face. No young person deserved what Draco was facing, former Death Eater or not. It was also believed by many of those involved in Draco's trial that, with a father like Lucius Malfoy, that Draco's participation in Voldemort's grapple for power was less voluntary than he let on. Kingsley shook his head at the sight of Draco so distressed. He decided the questions could stop there.

'Thank you, Mr Malfoy,' Kingsley said as he stood to leave, rousing Draco from his dreary thoughts.

'Actually, I have a question,' Draco said.

'Yes?'

'Where am I going to stay? I can't go home. Even if it the Death Eaters weren't still on the loose, it's probably in pieces by now.'

'Ah, yes.' Kingsley turned to Harry, a questioning look on his face. 'Harry, it's late and I doubt I could find alternative accommodation before morning. As aurors already monitor this house it would be the ideal place to keep Mr Malfoy.'

Harry did not look happy but he grudgingly agreed with Kingsley. 'Ron isn't going to be happy about this…'

'Mr Shacklebolt, sir,' Hermione interrupted, 'surely Malfoy can't stay here. I mean this is where Narcissa brought him. If the Death Eaters want to find him they'll get that information out of her and come straight here.'

'Very true, Miss Granger. However, I'm afraid we don't have many more options.'

Hermione looked to Harry. Her eyes were bright and focused. Draco was sure there was a plan forming in her mind. She whispered Seamus's name to Harry.

Harry's eyes grew wide. 'Oh no, he wouldn't agree.'

'We've got to ask him. This is important. Seamus only has to take Malfoy back to the pub for one night and tomorrow the Ministry can make other arrangements. It would be the safest option.'

Draco's stomach sank. He did not like the sound of what Hermione was suggesting. Seamus Finnigan had been one of his most outspoken enemies at Hogwarts – after Ron, of course. He would rather be asked to move in with Harry permanently than have to take refuge with the reckless and foolish Irishman.

'Hermione, you're right as always, but do you really think Seamus is going to agree to take Draco home with him?'

She grabbed his arm and hauled him off the couch. 'Harry, come with me.'

A moment later there was a shuffling of feet in the hallway and whispered voices.

'No. No, no, no. No way,' Seamus said, ignoring Harry and Hermione's attempts at keeping the conversation unheard by Draco. 'I'm not taking that git back to the pub. I'm not supposed to have anyone but me staying in the room anyway, I could lose my job.'

'From what I've heard you've had your fair share of people staying in that room with you. Sneak them up the staff staircase, yeah?' Harry replied.

'Saints in Heaven, that's the last time I tell Ron anything.' His voice was thick with annoyance and loathing, most like for Draco rather than Ron.

'Seamus, _you_ told me that,' Harry said. 'You brag about how many people you sleep with whenever I see you. It's completely…'

'Oh, shut up,' Hermione growled. 'For goodness sake, we don't have all night. Seamus, please. Whatever Malfoy has done to us in the past, we've got to look past it right now. His mother's missing and he's in danger. He'll be safe with you.'

'Why should I be doing this for him? He was a Death Eater himself!'

'We're not asking you to forgive him, nothing of the sort. All we're asking is for you to do the right thing.'

Silence filled the house for a couple of moments until Seamus finally grumbled acceptance. Nausea bubbled up in Draco's stomach as if he'd just apparated across the country. He took a deep breath and tried to keep the contents of his stomach where is ought to remain.

Harry and Hermione re-entered the room, followed by Seamus. The Irishman stood with his arms crossed and eyes fixed glaringly on Draco. Hermione announced the plans to Kingsley.

'Sounds like a good plan to me,' the auror approved. 'Mr Finnigan, I apologise for the inconvenience. I can assure you that I will make alternative arrangements for Mr Malfoy as soon as possible.'

Seamus shrugged as if to say it didn't matter because, really, what choice did he have? When Hermione Granger wanted something from someone, she darn well got it.

Once Kingsley had left, Harry suggested they return to the group in the kitchen. Seamus said he couldn't. 'I've got work in the morning, I was only here to say hello.'

'Yeah, I forgot. It was good seeing you though,' Harry replied. 'Come and say goodbye to everybody.' As they filed out of the study, Harry turned back to Draco. 'I can lend you some clothes if you want. I know I'm shorter than you, but I'm still taller than Seamus. I've got an old pair of shoes you could make fit with a re-sizing spell.'

Draco felt a flicker of a smile touch his lips at the mention of how Seamus was so vertically challenged, but it faded as quickly as it had appeared. He felt guilty for finding Harry's comment amusing given that vengeful Death Eaters had captured his mother. A shiver ran through Draco's body, reminding him how cold he was in just his shirt. 'A jumper and shoes would be appreciated, thanks.'


	2. Chapter 2

On the front doorstep of twelve Grimmauld Place stood Seamus and Draco, the latter of the two now dressed in a dull brown woollen jumper, trainers, and carrying a small pile of clothes. Seamus held out his arm but Draco did not take it. He didn't like the thought of apparating with only one hand holding onto Harry's spare clothes. Seamus glanced upwards and met Draco's eye with a questioning look, his gaze then falling to the clothes. He rolled his eyes and grabbed Draco's upper arm firmly. 'Hold on,' he muttered before they disapparated, leaving the doorstep abandoned and the street empty.

The alleyway in which they arrived was also empty and dark. Buildings on either side of the lane reached high into the dark sky and leant towards each other, blocking out the moonlight. Draco recognised they were in a magical part of London at once. Muggle buildings had a habit of being very much upright.

'This way,' Seamus whispered, opening an inconspicuous door in the brickwork. Draco followed Seamus into a narrow hallway. The air smelt musty and Draco had to overcome the urge to hold his breath. He headed towards the faint outline of a staircase, keeping his feet light on the stone floor. It was surely past midnight by now. Draco guessed the pub was also an inn given that Seamus had his own room, and that meant other staff or customers would be trying to sleep.

On the second floor Seamus overtook Draco and led him down the hallway. They passed by a couple of doors and rounded a corner, but as they did Seamus stopped completely still. His pause was so sudden and unexpected that Draco almost walked into him. Draco peered over the shorter boy's shoulder. He could see only one door at the end of the hallway, but unlike the others they had passed by this one had light flooding into the darkness from around its frame.

'What's wrong?' Draco whispered.

'Shhh, you'll wake Iain – he finds you here and I've lost my job.' Seamus gestured to the room up ahead. 'That's my room. Wait here.'

Seamus drew his wand and crept forward. He paused a moment to take a deep breath and raise his wand, then silently threw open the door. A look of surprise crossed Seamus's face. He lowered his wand and stepped into the room. At least it seemed that whatever was there was not of a sinister nature. Ignoring Seamus' orders to stay put, Draco stepped up to the doorway.

As he did so he found himself standing opposite a spindly-built but handsome boy around their age, with curly black hair and lightly tanned skin. Seamus looked to Draco with an expression of annoyance, but what also seemed like concern. The stranger's thick brows were furrowed and the eyes beneath them burned with a fiery glow as he caught sight of Draco.

Seamus turned back to the stranger. 'What are you doing here?' he hissed as quietly as he could.

'Me? What about _him_?' the boy replied, turning his nose up at Draco.

'None of your business, that. Though if you have to know, I've got orders from an auror to give him accommodation for the night. Now if you hurry up and get out of my room I won't turn you over to Iain. This is breaking and entering.' Seamus's tone was like ice. Draco had seen Seamus angry countless times, but it was always a loud and aggressive anger. He was never so cold. It seemed to shock the other boy even more, for his eyes grew wide like a deer caught in the blinding glow of a car's headlights.

'But please, Seamus, I had to see you.'

Seamus let out an exasperated sigh. He raised his wand again. 'Out. Get out of my room _now.'_

The boy stepped towards Seamus, quickly closing the space between them in the small room. Draco realised for the first time that he had a bouquet of flowers in one hand. Draco's mind was about to explode; this night could not get any crazier. He was beginning to wonder if it were all a dream. Who was this boy? Why was he is Seamus's room – with flowers of all things? One explanation that came to mind seemed too outrageous to even consider, but what else would be going on?

'I brought you these,' the boy said, holding up the flowers. Seamus glanced at Draco. A mixture of panic and anger crossed his face, both trying to overcome the other. Seamus' face was red and eyes narrowed; it looked like anger was about to win out.

Seamus whipped back towards the boy and muttered, 'Incendio.' The flowers burst into flame. The boy let out a gasp and dropped them to the floor, where the flames died away and left the blackened remains smouldering. Seamus gestured towards the door with his wand, to which the boy needed no further encouragement. He skulked past Draco and into the hall, followed by Seamus with his wand still raised. They disappeared into the darkness.

Draco waited for a moment, listening to their footsteps die away, before stepping into the room and placing Harry's clothes on a battered armchair. He dropped his gaze to the ash on the floor, shaking his head. It was a ridiculous thought, but as the seconds passed by it seemed to get clearer and more concrete in his mind. What else could explain the scene Draco had just witnessed? He supposed he would hear the truth in a minute or two; there was no way Seamus could expect to get away with not explaining that.

Yet as the time ticked by, Draco began to hope that he already knew the truth, which was that the curly-haired boy was a clingy ex-lover. As much as he loathed admitting it, the idea of Seamus being attracted to men stirred something within him that few guys had before. Of the handsome, older Slytherins that used to swagger through the corridors at Hogwarts, only a handful had captured Draco's attention for long. He presumed he had high standards. Yet here he was, hoping that maybe Seamus Finnigan of all people was gay, which generated the possibility of him finding Draco attractive.

Draco sighed heavily. Such thoughts were absurd. Seamus was a foolish Irish lad with a penchant for trouble and bad jokes. He was nothing like the elegant prince Draco dreamt of. Even if he were, Draco would be wasting his time fawning over him. It seemed Seamus could hardly stand the sight of Draco.

Seamus returned with a blanket and thin pillow from the inn's store of spare bedding. He didn't say anything as he piled them onto a small table beside the door, closed the door and locked it, and went to sit down on the bed. Off came his jacket and shoes, which were chucked to one side of the room as he avoided eye contact with Draco.

Draco cleared his throat. Seamus paused for a moment with his eyes on the floorboards before turning to the face Draco. His cheeks and ears were pink. Was he embarrassed?

'Mm-hmm?'

'Care to explain what that was all about?' Draco asked. With anybody else he would be wearing a smirk and speaking with an air of arrogance, knowing he was about to find out a juicy secret. Now, however, Draco was nervous. These days he was in no position to use information against people, especially not a friend of Harry's after he had done so much for Draco and his mother. There was nothing for Draco to gain from what Seamus said next. Instead anxiety bubbled through him, sending waves of nausea crashing in his stomach.

What if Seamus was gay? Draco could admit that he admired Seamus's guts, but he still thought of Seamus as reckless and undignified. Developing an attraction to someone so unlike him would be like finding out he wasn't really the person he thought he was all his life. What if a confession kindled the fire of infatuation within Draco that he would rather remain unlit? He didn't want to have to deal with feelings for anyone right now, let alone a Gryffindor friend of Harry Potter.

Seamus leapt to his feet and had his wand pointed between Draco's eyes within a second. 'If you speak one word of this to anyone, you're dead.'

'One word of what?'

Seamus rolled his eyes. 'We both know you're not stupid. Snobbish and evil, yes. Stupid, no.'

Draco was too tired to feel offended. 'Look, just forget about it, ok? I saw nothing.'

'No, I can't have you getting the wrong end of the stick. I'd rather you know the truth and spread rumours than start telling lies because you don't know the whole story.' Seamus stepped back and lowered his wand. He inhaled deeply and closed his eyes for a moment, readying himself. When his eyes opened they locked onto Draco's. 'It's exactly what it looked like. I hooked up with that guy. He wanted things to go further but I didn't, I mean I can't even remember his name. Now he's become some obsessed loony. But I'm not gay, so don't go telling people that.'

'Classy.'

Seamus huffed but looked relieved that Draco hadn't jumped back in horror.

'So, you hooked up with a guy but you're not gay?' Draco continued. 'I'm not quite sure that's how heterosexuality works.'

Seamus watched Draco for a moment before a grin broke out across his face. He let out a laugh that filled the small room, but it quickly faded, as did his grin. His expression turned from one of amusement to one of dismay. Draco nearly started to laugh at Seamus's reaction to his own acknowledgement that what Draco had said was slightly funny.

'Merlin, Finnigan, you look like you've seen a dementor. You're allowed to laugh at jokes.'

'I didn't know you had a sense of humour.'

'Well, you learn something knew everyday.'

Seamus shook his head, the grin re-forming. 'Like not to bring one-night-stands back to your room in case they start turning up in the middle of the night to announce their love for you, yeah?'

This time is was Draco's turn to grin. 'Exactly.'

Seamus sighed. 'I'm not gay. I still like lassies.' He shrugged. 'I can just get off with guys too.'

Draco wrinkled his nose slightly. 'Charming. But I must say that's fair enough. Shock-horror, I'm not judging. Now, do you think I might be able to get some sleep any time soon?'

Seamus gestured to the spare bedding. 'Knock yourself out.' He walked over to his own bed and began to unbutton his shirt. Draco didn't move. What did Seamus expect him to do, make a nest on the floor? He remained standing, wondering if perhaps this was one of the Irishman's attempts at a joke. The shirt slipped to the floor and Draco took in the sight of Seamus's bare back, with broad shoulders tapering into a slim waist and the outlines of shoulder blades visible beneath pale skin.

Seamus opened a chest of draws that sat alongside the bed and began to rummage around. He seemed to notice that Draco had not moved and stood back up, unselfconscious about showing off his body.

'What?' he asked, gazing over at Draco.

'I seem to be missing a bed.'

'Oh, of course,' Seamus said vaguely, looking between Draco and the bedding. He scratched at his head and ran his hands through the short hair. 'I wish you'd been more of a git this evening, Malfoy. I can't make you sleep on the floor now.'

Draco couldn't help his mouth from falling open. 'You were going to make me sleep on the floor? Didn't Granger tell you to do the 'right thing'?'

'Well, I wasn't exactly happy when she told me I had to bring you back here. I'll admit that was childish, ok? But we don't have any free rooms at the moment, so you're either in the bed with me or you're on the floor. Don't try the armchair.'

'Why not?'

Seamus bit his lip as he glanced at the battered piece of furniture. 'Just trust me.'

'Finnigan,' Draco started, unsure about how to phrase what he wanted to say. 'I know I've been a pretty cruel person, but my past actions haven't shown _me_. I'm self-centred and arrogant at time, yes. I'm not the guy you knew at Hogwarts though. I'm… I'm sorry for everything. I know that doesn't make it ok, but were you really going to make me sleep on the floor? Is that really all you think of me?'

'Harry may have forgiven you or whatever, I don't know, but I haven't. Not yet. I do appreciate your apology…' Seamus's voice trailed off. He turned away and started idly searching through the chest of drawers, not really paying attention to what he was looking for. 'It'll take more than one laugh to erase the hell you put us through, Malfoy. I'm not a git though; I won't treat you like a dog. You can share the bed, I don't mind.'

Draco cursed the whole situation. Not only had he turned out to be right in predicting that Seamus was gay – well, not gay, but attracted to guys – but he had found Seamus's brief attempt at banter with him oddly charming. Now he was supposed to spend the night in Seamus's bed. How was he supposed to ignore his sudden infatuation with the Irish boy if he was going to be pressed up against his fit body for however many hours – the bed certainly wasn't of the generous size provided at Hogwarts or Malfoy Manor.

He tried to tell himself that it didn't matter. By morning an auror would be ready to take him away. Seamus wouldn't have to forgive Draco and Draco could return to dreaming of his usual prince charming.

'Bed it is then,' Draco said in the lightest tone he could manage, trying to lift the heavy mood that had fallen across the room.

Seamus nodded acceptance. 'You don't mind the whole me shagging-guys thing?'

Draco rolled his eyes. 'If I remember rightly, Finnigan, you hate my guts. What do I have to worry about? I doubt you'd 'shag' me even for all the money in Gringotts.'

'That's a lot of money. Though I'm sure you're probably into dark, kinky bedroom stuff,' Seamus teased.

'Oh, Merlin.' Draco cringed. 'Will you believe me if I say you're one-hundred per cent wrong?'

'Probably not.'

'Well, you always were stubborn,' Draco replied with a shake of his head. 'This conversation is over.'

Seamus chuckled to himself as he turned away to finished getting changed.

* * *

><p>As he had gotten changed, Draco examined Harry's spare clothes. Harry's lack of style was not a surprise, but Draco quickly became worried about how the clothes would fit. Harry was nearly a head shorter than him. He would have to ask whichever auror turned up in the morning if someone could retrieve a selection of Draco's own clothes from home, if there were still any left.<p>

Draco slid into the bed first, followed by Seamus. With two fully-grown young men sharing it certainly felt smaller than it had looked, and it hadn't looked terribly big to start with. While Draco tried to act relaxed he felt tense as Seamus wriggled around beside him, his arms and back brushing against Draco multiple times. In the dark Draco stared up at the ceiling, listening to the sound of Seamus's breathing and the creaking of the old building.

The time dragged on and despite how tired Draco felt he could not fall asleep. Too much had happened that day. Seamus was only a small portion of it. Most important was his near-death-by-Death Eater experience and his mother's disappearance. She could be dead now. But some small glimmer of hope swam at the back of Draco's mind. Death Eaters loved a ritualised and perfectly planned killing. If anybody was going to keep Narcissa alive until they had Draco captured too, in order to carry out some elaborate murder, it would be Death Eaters. While the thought sent shivers down Draco's spine, he clung to it desperately. The only other possibility was that his mother was already gone.

'You asleep?' Seamus whispered, breaking through the awful images clouding Draco's mind.

'No.'

'Neither.' Seamus paused for a moment before saying vaguely, 'This is so weird.'

'You're telling me.'

'I never thought I'd have to deal with you ever again, you know?'

'Neither did I, although not necessarily in those exact terms. I thought I'd never see anybody from Hogwarts again. Yet here I am. I think what's most odd is that we aren't fighting.'

'Ha! Imagine if the others could see us now.'

Draco smiled in the darkness. What a sight that would be. He thought of his Slytherin friends, Crabbe and Goyle, Blaise and Pansy. What would they think? To be honest, Draco decided they probably wouldn't care. Draco had corresponded with Blaise and Pansy briefly via owl over the summer but their writing had felt awkward, like they were writing to a distant family member than an old friend. He doubted they would ever rekindle a friendship. Their lives had changed too much after the war. The thought saddened Draco, not because he would miss their company exactly but because his future looked so lonely without them. While he had always enjoyed long spells alone he still needed company like everybody else.

'They don't know about you, do they?' Draco asked, referring to Seamus's own group of friends.

Seamus sighed but did not reply. Draco thought he was not going to say anything at all, but eventually he felt Seamus turn towards him in the bed. 'No,' he said, his breath blowing warmth across Draco's shoulder. 'I don't think they need to know. I'll find myself a nice lass someday.'

'Do you think they'd understand though?'

'Not sure. Dean would have to, being my best mate. The girls might too, and Neville. He's such a Hufflepuff when it comes to dealing with other people. It's my family who really can never know. Too Irish, too Catholic- my dad's side anyway.'

Draco thought of his own mother. His father didn't matter anymore; locked away in Azkaban he was dead to Draco. His mother, however, was a different story. Would him being gay upset her – if he ever saw her again to tell her? He couldn't deal with that thought. It would be best if his secret remained just that, untold and unknown. Draco would have to keep his feelings restricted to his dream world with prince charming; he could do that for his mother. It would be better if nobody knew about him.

'Why do you care?' Seamus asked, rousing Draco from his thoughts.

'Us Slytherins thrive off information.'

'Remember what I said before, Malfoy. If you tell anyone, I'll kill you.'

'Relax, Finnigan. I've got nothing to gain from telling anyone your secret.'

'So why are you asking if what I tell you is meaningless to you?'

It wasn't meaningless though. If Harry had been honest earlier that night when he said Draco may one day have a friend in him, or even a group of friends, he wanted to know whether they may accept Draco's secret. But hadn't he just decided that no one could ever know he was gay in order to protect his mother? Draco sighed. His mind was a mess. He didn't know what he wanted.

'Just curious,' Draco lied.

'Whatever. I guess you've already got a lovely little pureblood girl lined up for you, yeah?'

'I probably did. Not anymore. Who wants a Malfoy these days?'

'What about Parkinson? Weren't you two an item at school?'

Draco laughed. 'Merlin, no. Friends, nothing more. She really wasn't my… type.'

'And what would that be?'

'Well, I prefer people without pug-faces.'

Seamus chuckled. 'Fair play, so do I. But come on, you must have some sort of plan for finding a wife. Purebloods marry young, don't they?'

'Traditionally, yes. These days it's only families like mine who still do, but who would want the former Death Eater son of Lucius Malfoy?' Draco twisted his head to face Seamus for the first time since they'd gotten into bed. 'I don't think I'm going to get married. If I do, I'm not having children. I'm not burdening a child with the Malfoy name.'

Seamus's eyebrows furrowed in the darkness. Draco could just see them in the glow of the moonlight streaming in from around the edge of the curtains. 'Really?'

'Really.'

'Hmm. Maybe you were right before.'

'About what?'

'That you're not as evil as we all thought.'

'Are you admitting I might be a decent human being after all?'

'Decent may be pushing it,' Seamus said through a grin.

'I suppose 'not-evil' is something.'

Seamus turned over to check the clock beside the bed. 'Oh, Mother Mary, it's already two in the morning. I'm going to be so knackered tomorrow.'

'I guess that's my fault.'

'Largely.'

'Well, sorry, I guess. I could always risk the armchair if you want to get to sleep.'

'Don't be silly. It's ok.' Seamus lay back down, leaving his back facing Draco. Draco yawned and felt his eyelids finally becoming heavy. He turned to face the wall in the hope that sleep might come soon. He was doubtful, however, for now his mind was racing even faster than before. Seamus was talking to him with unexpected ease. Did that mean he could learn not to hate Draco one day? Draco hoped that he was right, which once again contradicted his decision to ignore boys for his mother's sake.

* * *

><p>The sound of smashing glass and screaming woke both Draco and Seamus. As they sat up in bed they started to cough. Opening his eyes, it became clear to Draco that the room was quickly filling with smoke.<p>

'What the…?' Seamus choked out.

Draco pushed Seamus out of the bed. 'Fire!' he shouted. They both pulled on a pair of trousers and collected up a shirt, shoes and their wands. Draco ran for the door but Seamus didn't follow.

'Finnigan!' Draco called. He could no longer see Seamus despite being only a couple of steps away. More screams filled the air from somewhere else in the building. Draco thought he could hear laughing along with the breaking of more glass. He stepped back into the room, prepared to grab Seamus around the waist and haul him over his shoulder if that was what it would take to get him out of the burning pub. However, Draco only managed to take one step before Seamus crashed face-first into him. Unfazed, he grabbed Draco's empty hand and pulled him down the smoky corridor.

As they rounded the corner and headed towards the stairs the laughing grew louder. It sent a chilling shiver down Draco's spine. It was too familiar to be a coincidence. The Death Eaters were here.

As he and Seamus passed by a window, red sparks blasted it to pieces. Draco fell backwards and Seamus was thrown forwards. Draco recovered and sent a volley of spells upwards towards the window, hoping he might hit whoever was outside. One seemed to hit its target, for the laughing Draco heard suddenly stopped as if a hand had wrapped itself around the Death Eater's throat.

Back on his feet, Draco called out for Seamus. He trod carefully forward over the broken glass, trying to think of a spell to clear the air. Suddenly one came to mind. Draco lifted his wand and muttered the spell, turning the smoke transparent. What he saw nearly sent his heart jumping into his mouth. There was a large hole in the floorboards in the landing just beside the stairs, and Seamus was struggling to stop himself falling through it.

'Merlin,' Draco exclaimed before racing towards Seamus. He let his shoes and shirt fall to one side and grabbed Seamus under his arms, hauling him back through the hole and onto the solid floor. They gasped for air but only started coughing again. Draco felt as if he were drowning in the smoke. He managed to stand by pulling himself up against the wall and motioned for Seamus to do the same. Finally they reached the stairs and stumbled the rest of the way down the hall.

Seamus threw open the door into the alleyway and fell to the ground, breathing in large gulps of fresh air between coughs. Draco searched the sky for black-cloaked figures. People were running through the narrow alley in both directions, screaming and shouting, distracting him. Further away he spotted an auror in uniform. A wave of relief washed over him. He turned to Seamus, planning to pull him up and walk him into the main street away from the burning building, but was stopped by what he saw. Seamus's legs were burnt. His trousers were in tatters and the skin up to his knees was red and already starting to blister.

Draco was speechless. It took him a moment to collect himself. Somehow he found words to encourage Seamus to his feet and helped him hobble down the alley. As he did so, feelings of guilt began to swim around his mind. This was his fault. The Death Eaters were after him, he was the reason someone's pub had been gutted by fire and Seamus had been injured. Had anybody else been injured? What if Draco ended up being responsible for someone's death? The thought was probably the worst he had had all night.

When they reached the main street the sight in the sky caught Draco's attention. A team of aurors were spread across the ground and shooting sparks in the air flew while three Death Eaters fought back from the sky. Draco tore his eyes away from the scene to search for someone to help Seamus. Two shops along he spotted an emergency healer, identified by the St Mungo's logo on her sleeve. Draco took more of Seamus' weight as he struggled to walk up the path.

'Not much further,' Draco encouraged. 'We'll get you to St Mungo's in a minute.'

The healer was crouched on the street treating an old woman sitting on a shop doorstep. 'Please,' Draco said. 'We need help.' She turned around and was met my Seamus's legs right in front of her. Her eyes grew wide.

'Oh, dear,' she said as she contained her alarm. She looked up at Draco. 'He needs to get to St Mungo's immediately. Penelope!'

A junior healer appeared beside her, startling Draco. Where had she come from?

'Yes, ma'am?'

'Take these two to the emergency burns ward. This young man needs his legs treated as soon as possible. They will both then need to be transported to the general ward for smoke inhalation and an assessment.'

'Yes, ma'am,' the young witch replied. She stepped forward in one swift motion and placed firm hands on Draco and Seamus's shoulders. Before Draco had time to realise what as about to happen, she disapparated them.


	3. Chapter 3

The time being treated at St Mungo's seemed to disappear in a blink. Draco hardly remembered any of it after he had been deemed fit enough to go home and was moved to a seat in the waiting room to await an auror. He managed to pull on his shirt and shoes before falling sleep, only waking as the sun was starting to rise. The waiting room was empty now apart from an old man snoozing across from Draco. Seamus was nowhere to be seen so Draco guessed he was still having his legs treated somewhere in the hospital.

Draco picked at the fraying edge of a hole in the knee of his trousers. He shivered and realised he had left Harry's jumper and the rest of his clothes in Seamus's room. He was sure Harry could forgive the loss of some manky old clothes, but he still felt bad after all Harry had done for him.

However, what Draco was most concerned about was what Seamus might have lost in the fire. He had only brought with him his clothes from the previous night and… something else. Seamus had been searching for something before they left the pub but Draco did not know what. He hoped Seamus had found it. If it was worth searching for as the building you were in burnt to the ground then it must have been important.

'Mr Malfoy?' a thick voice came from beside him. Draco's eyes shot up to meet those of Kingsley Shacklebolt. He hadn't noticed the auror enter the room.

'Yes, sir,' Draco said hurriedly, standing up.

'Are you ok?'

'Fine.'

'And Mr Finnigan?'

Draco shrugged. 'He fell through a hole in the floor and his legs were burnt. I think he's still being treated at the moment.'

Kingsley nodded, his face grave. 'I'm assuming you are aware the fire at the pub was not an accident?'

'I saw the Death Eaters,' Draco sighed.

'We managed to apprehend one. Aurors are currently working with him to figure out where your mother is. A dose of veritaserum should do the trick.'

Draco swallowed hard and a knot of worry began to form in his stomach. Did he want to know where his mother was, what had happened to her?

'It was foolish of me to allow you to move from Grimmauld Place without auror protection,' Kingsley continued. 'I greatly underestimated the danger you were in. I apologise. I have already spoken to Harry and he has agreed for you to take a room in his house. It is already under protection and much more secure than anywhere else we have available currently nearby. If you're ready we should leave now. Mr Finnigan will be given instruction to apparate to Harry's once he is discharged. Harry has agreed to give Mr Finnigan a room until he gets back on his feet.'

Draco frowned. 'How many rooms does that place have?'

Kingsley chuckled. 'It always has enough. Now please, Mr Malfoy, we must be going.' Kingsley held out an arm, which Draco took with no hesitation. He felt no need to prepare for the sudden movement of apparition anymore. He had travelled so much by the gut-wrenching and sickness-inducing method in the past twenty-four hours that it was beginning to feel as natural as walking.

* * *

><p>Kingsley escorted Draco into the hallway of Grimmauld Place and motioned for him to head into the kitchen. Draco did so but stopped in the doorway. Ron stood at the stove frying eggs. 'Weasley?' Draco couldn't help but exclaim. He was not expecting to find the ginger-haired friend of Harry's still here.<p>

Ron glared over his shoulder at Draco. 'Malfoy,' he spat.

Draco stepped further into the room to see Harry sitting at the table, sipping at a cup of coffee. He quickly understood the confused look on Draco's face. 'Ron lives here now. It made sense seeing as we're both training to be aurors together and have to travel to the Ministry each day. This house is much closer than Ron's.' Harry glanced over Draco's shoulder and noticed Kingsley. 'Coffee, Kingsley? And where's Seamus?'

'No thank you, Harry. I need to get back to the Ministry. Mr Finnigan is still at St Mungo's. He knows to come here when he is discharged' Kingsley turned to Draco. 'We can send an auror to your residence to pick up any belongings you may need, Mr Malfoy. Some parts of the house are badly damaged, so anything of value will be moved to your family vault at Gringotts.'

Draco was surprised by how much effort the Ministry seemed to be putting into their case. He had expected their house to be left free for looters to scavenge. 'Thank you, sir,' Draco said with a nod of his head. 'Some of my clothes would be appreciated.'

'Anything else?'

Draco thought for a moment. 'If there are any of my potions books in good condition, I would like those.'

'I will pass that information on. I suggest you get some sleep now, it's been a long night.'

He bid Draco, Harry and Ron a good day and showed himself out. Draco was left standing awkwardly in the kitchen. Ron was now at the table shoving eggs into his mouth, eyes narrowed and fixed of Draco. Harry finished his coffee and stood up. 'I'll show you to your room, Malfoy.'

As they climbed the stairs Harry asked what had happened at the pub. Draco shrugged. 'All I know is the Death Eaters somehow knew where I was and set the pub on fire. Kingsley said they caught one though.'

'That's good news.'

'Finnigan was hurt though. He fell through a hole in the floor and his legs got burnt. I'm not sure how he is, I haven't seen him since they took us to different wards at the hospital.'

Harry and Draco reached the third floor and Harry opened the first door on the left. He showed Draco into the room. It was spacious and well lit from two large windows on the opposite wall, though the dark wallpaper and floorboards made it look gloomy. Dust particles disturbed by the opening of the door floated through the air before them.

'I'm afraid your clothes are gone,' Draco told Harry.

Harry shrugged. 'They were old. You can repay me some time. I'll let you get to bed now if you want. Ron and I are leaving in maybe fifteen minutes and we'll be back this evening. I've let Kreacher know you're here. He'll get you some leftovers from last night when you get up.'

'Kreacher?'

'The house elf. He's a grumpy old thing but he'll love you, seeing as you're a pureblood. There's a family tree in the second study downstairs. Did you know you're on it?'

'Me?'

Harry nodded. 'Have a look some time.' He turned to leave but Draco stopped him.

'You're really leaving me alone in your house?'

'Are you saying I shouldn't trust you?'

'I'm asking why you do. If I were you I wouldn't trust me.'

'I know that people change,' Harry said with a shrug. 'Sometimes they aren't who you thought they were to begin with. And anyway, if you try to steal anything Kreacher will put a fork through your neck.'

'Brilliant,' Draco muttered, 'I'm sharing a house with a murderous elf.' He shuffled towards the bed and collapsed onto its edge, sinking into the soft mattress. If he'd closed his eyes Draco reckoned he would have fallen asleep right then and there. He forced himself to look back at Harry.

'He hasn't killed anyone yet, as far as I know,' Harry said as he started to close the door behind himself.

Draco smiled back. 'Thanks for letting me stay,' he said quietly.

Harry paused in the doorway. 'You're welcome.'

* * *

><p>Draco awoke to a strange sensation, as if he were on a ship rocking against stormy waves. He opened his eyes and blinked a couple of times. Bright sunlight poured through the windows as he'd forgotten to close the curtains before falling asleep. Once his vision became focused, the scene before Draco made him wonder if hadn't actually woken up at all but was still dreaming. Seamus stood on the bed before him, shifting his weight between each foot, arms held out wide from his body to steady himself. A large, childish grin was spread across his face. As he noticed that Draco was awake, he began to laugh. 'Malfoy!' he shouted.<p>

'What are you…?' Draco started but his words trailed off as Seamus jumped a couple of steps forward. He dropped to his knees, trapping Draco underneath him.

'You're awake!'

'Uh, yes. Are you ok, Finnigan?'

Seamus laughed again. 'Splendid. Did you see it raining before, how magical. Purple rain, just like the song. Something must be in the air.' He yawned and stretched his arms up dramatically. 'I told the healer but she didn't believe me.'

'What healer?'

'The healer who brought me here,' Seamus replied, frowning at Draco as if the answer was the most obvious thing in the world.

Draco scooted backwards towards the headboard so he could sit up. His eyes glanced to the windows. It looked like summer outside, no clouds to be seen. It seemed Seamus had gone crazy. A thought dawned on Draco. 'Did they give you pain potions?' he asked.

'What?'

'Did they give you pain potions?'

'What would I know about pain potions?'

Draco let out an exasperated sigh. At least he was fairly certain now what was causing Seamus's strange behaviour; he'd been given a strong pain potion or two. They tended to mess with your head.

'Why don't we find you a bed and you can sleep it off?' Draco asked as he pulled himself out from underneath Seamus and slipped out of the bed. He was about to throw on yesterday's trousers and shirt when a pile of clothes on the desk beside the window caught his eye. Beside them were three potions books. An auror had obviously dropped them off while he had been asleep. Slightly creepy, thought Draco, imagining a Ministry employee watching him sleep. He tried to ignore the thought and quickly put on some of his own clean clothes.

'I'm not tired,' Seamus said through another yawn, now sitting against the headboard where Draco had been a moment earlier.

'The evidence suggests otherwise. Come on.' Draco gestured towards the door but Seamus ignored him. He took a hold of the covers and crawled underneath them. 'No, not in there,' Draco whined, but Seamus was already snuggling up to the pillow.

'Come join me,' Seamus mumbled into the pillow. Draco eyebrows shot up.

'Uh, I don't think that would be wise. Go on, you go to sleep.'

'No,' Seamus groaned. 'Come here.' He opened his eyes and sat up again. 'Look, they fixed my legs,' he said, struggling to move the duvet, instead getting tangled up in the sheet.

'I'm sure they did,' Draco said as he moved back towards the bed. He took the covers from Seamus and straightened them. 'You need to sleep off the potions.'

Seamus rolled his eyes and flopped back down onto the pillow. 'So grumpy, no fun,' he muttered. Draco shook his head and chuckled to himself quietly. The effects of pain potions were always entertaining, even if in this instance he had lost his bed.

Draco moved to the door quietly and slipped into the hallway. At least it seemed that Seamus would be ok.

* * *

><p>Harry had been right when he'd said that Kreacher would like Draco. Draco had entered the kitchen gingerly, unsure about how the house elf would react to his sudden appearance. He had been surprised, but relieved, by the low bow Kreacher had given. 'Welcome, Master Draco,' Kreacher had said, a smile appearing on his wrinkled face. 'It is good to have a noble pureblood heir within this house once more.'<p>

'Ok…'

'Would Master Draco like something to eat?'

Draco regained his collectedness enough to say, 'Yes please, Kreacher.'

'Sit, Master Draco. Kreacher shall prepare a meal.'

Draco guessed Harry had warned Kreacher that Draco would be staying with them, but he hadn't expected such a welcome. He knew Harry had inherited the house from Sirius Black, and he supposed Kreacher still felt his loyalty lied with the ancient pureblood family. Draco was related to them via his mother, which must be why Kreacher seemed so eager to please.

Following a meal of soup and crusty bread and a plate of leftovers from the night before, Draco moved to the study and inspected the books upon the shelves. They were all very old and covered in dust. Harry obviously hadn't paid them much attention, which didn't surprise Draco. He picked a couple up randomly and moved to the armchair closest the fire, which he lit with a flick of his wand. He must have sat reading for a couple of hours, for when he finally sat up again he found the evening's twilight haze had descended on the world outside. Seamus's footsteps on the staircase in the hallway had disturbed him.

'I feel wretched,' Seamus groaned as he appeared in the doorway. 'What time is it?'

Draco shrugged. He looked around the room for a clock and spotted a small one on the mantelpiece. 'Accio clock,' he said, not being bothered to get up. He checked the time and set it down again on the table beside the armchair. 'Nearly four,' he told Seamus.

'Have you eaten?'

Draco nodded. 'Ask Kreacher for something if you're hungry.'

Seamus stumbled out of the study and Draco returned to reading. He was surprised that about five minutes later Seamus returned with a plate of soggy-looking sandwiches and sat down opposite Draco. He expected to be ignored now that Seamus didn't have to talk to him.

Draco raised a questioning eyebrow at the insubstantial meal. 'Sandwiches?'

Seamus took a large bite of one. 'Something wrong?' he asked with his mouth full.

Draco ignored the lack of manners. 'Kreacher made me soup and heated up leftovers from your get-together.'

'Little bastard said this was all there was.'

Draco couldn't help but smirk. It seemed he had been right about his pureblood status being favourable with Kreacher. Seamus was only half-blood.

'I'm sure Potter will talk to him if you ask,' Draco offered. Seamus nodded but wolfed down the rest of the sandwiches anyway. When he had finished he set the plate on the floor and brought his feet up into the chair, sitting crossed-legged.

'My legs are ok,' he said.

'I know.'

Seamus raised an eyebrow. 'You know?'

'You told me earlier.' Draco grinned, remembering Seamus's potion-induced behaviour. 'You were going to show me, too, but I made you go to sleep.'

'I don't remember any of this,' Seamus replied, his voice heavy with scepticism.

Draco closed the book he had been reading and set it down beside the clock. 'They must have given you some pain potions at St Mungo's – pretty strong ones. You were acting bizarrely. I woke up with you standing over me in bed, and then eventually you took it over. That's my room you woke up in.'

Seamus groaned again. 'Really?'

'It was quite amusing.'

'Probably was. Back in fifth year that old owl of Ron's hit Dean, it flew straight into him. It unbalanced him and he hit his head on a rock of all things. Madam Pomfrey gave him a pain potion and he started thinking she was his mother.' He started laughing at the memory. 'He didn't live that one down for the rest of the year. I didn't do anything stupid, did I?'

'Would that be so unusual?' Draco asked with a grin.

'Shut up, Malfoy. Come on, did I?'

'No, you just said some odd stuff. You asked me to join you in bed.' Seamus's eyes grew wide and he swallowed hard. Draco quickly added, 'I think you just wanted to show me that your legs were healed. You tried to but got tangled in the covers.'

Seamus turned towards the fire and stared into the flames. He laughed weakly. 'Yeah, those pain potions make you do weird stuff.'

Draco began to feel uncomfortable. He decided to change the subject. 'I'm sorry about your room and the pub. I hope you haven't lost anything too important.'

Seamus shrugged. 'I didn't have much to lose. I got my grandmother's pendant, that's all that really mattered.'

'Was that what you were looking for before we left?'

'Yeah. It was a gift from her, passed down from her mother. It was supposed to go to the daughters of the family but she only had sons and so did my parents. She ended up giving it to me because I was the eldest grandchild. She thought that was a good compromise.'

Seamus reached into his shirt and pulled out a gold cross. He glanced at Draco for a moment before pulling the chain over his head and passing it to Draco. Draco hesitated and then took the pendant. The crucifix was intricately engraved up the sides with a language he couldn't read, likely Irish. A small, gold figure of Christ hung upon the cross. Draco was impressed by the craftsmanship. It was obviously of a high quality and was very beautiful. He handed it back to Seamus, who tucked it back under his shirt.

'It's lovely,' Draco said.

Seamus smiled. 'Me gran would've killed me if I'd lost it.'

'What are you going to do about your job? I mean the pub can't have survived that fire.'

'I'll have to go see Iain, check he's ok. Then I'll find another job, I guess. I don't want to be stuck in Harry's hair too long. Although I'm supposed to rest until my legs are properly healed, so I could be here a while. I didn't really understand what the healer meant by that. It was something about them looking healed but underneath still being tender, I don't know.'

Draco nodded. 'Bad injuries like burns can be magically healed on the surface, but the skin itself has still been injured at the cellular level. It takes a lot of energy for your body to completely heal, so you need as much rest as possible.'

'How do you know that?'

Draco shrugged. He didn't know where he had picked that up. It must have been in his potions and healing book, which had been written for those intending to train in the medical profession. He'd bought it a couple of years earlier because of his interest in potions rather than medicine. 'I do a lot of reading,' he said.

Draco began to wonder again about whether, as he and Seamus were having such a civil conversation now, if maybe Seamus was on the path to forgiving Draco for the past. It seemed a long shot, but Draco hoped it was true. Though he wouldn't know for sure unless he asked, unless he apologised properly. But where to begin?

There was so much Draco had to be sorry for. The thought of apologising wasn't easy. Having to explain how susceptible he had been to his father's influence, doing horrible things to try and make him proud, was truly embarrassing. Draco wanted to just forget about it all, but he knew that wasn't possible. There would be no moving forward if he couldn't accept the past. He could start with Seamus now, but when would he talk to the others? Would they even let him? He doubted Ron would ever believe him. It all seemed too much.

'You alright, Malfoy?' Seamus asked. Draco realised he had been staring into space. He waved a hand, dismissing Seamus's worry.

'Fine, fine.'

Seamus didn't seem convinced. 'Are you sure?'

Draco wondered why Seamus was so concerned. A nauseous feeling began to swirl around his stomach; such a feeling was becoming quite usual. Was this the right time to bring up his desire for forgiveness, to move on from the past? Draco took a deep breath, trying to ease the anxiety coursing through his body. It was always best to tackle such things as soon as possible; otherwise they would grow too big and menacing in your mind. Draco would rather have time to rehearse what he wanted to say, but that would risk his words sounding insincere. It was likely his apology would be met by scepticism anyway; he didn't want Seamus to not take him seriously if he didn't sound genuine.

'There's something I need to say to you,' Draco said, sitting up straighter in his chair.

'Yeah?'

'It's something I need to say to everyone eventually. Potter, Weasley, Granger, all of them.' He stopped, wondering if he should be starting to address everybody by their first names. Or would that make Seamus angry? Too much too soon? He shook his head, knowing he was getting distracted.

'While we're both staying in the same house I think I should mention it now,' Draco continued. 'I wanted to apologise for… everything. Back at school, every time I said anything bad about you or to you or hurt any of your friends, all the things I did when I became a Death Eater, I'm terribly ashamed of it all now. If it weren't for my father's desire to be Voldemort's right-hand man, I'd like to think I would have acted very differently. I may be an arrogant git – I think that's unavoidable when you come from a family such as mine – but I'm not a monster.'

Seamus sat silently for a few moments. He studied Draco's face, as if looking for any sign of insincerity. Draco remained still, his gaze on Seamus. Eventually it seemed that Seamus accepted Draco's words. 'I never thought I'd say this, but I forgive you, Malfoy. I have to ask though, what was it like being a Death Eater? Do you mind me asking?'

'Maybe I'll tell you one day, but I don't think I'm ready to relive all of that just yet. One day though, if you still want to know.'

'I'll hold you to that.'

Draco laughed. 'I'm sure you will.'

'Seamus! Good to see you again,' Harry called from the doorway. Both boys in the study jumped, unaware that Harry had returned.

'We didn't hear you come in,' Seamus said as he recovered, standing up and going to give Harry a clap on the back. 'Gave me a fright, mate.'

'That wasn't my intention, I swear. How are you after the fire? Malfoy said they were still treating you when he was dropped off by Kingsley.'

'I'm better, yeah. Have to rest up for a while though. The legs look fine but are still healing or something.'

'Well, stay as long as you need to.'

'Thanks, Harry. How was your first day?'

Harry grinned. 'Brilliant. Ron was raving all the way home. He's gone straight into the kitchen for dinner. You two going to join us?'

'Not me,' Seamus said. 'I've just eaten. Though you need to have a word to Kreacher. He doesn't like me. Gave me sandwiches while he made a bloody banquet for Malfoy.'

Harry rolled his eyes. 'He's a grumpy bugger.'

Seamus laughed. 'Don't let Hermione hear you saying that.'

'You're right, she'd have me up for infringement of S.P.E.W. membership rules or something.' He peered around Seamus to Draco, still sitting by the fire. 'Dinner, Malfoy?'

'No, thanks. I'm still full from lunch. You were right, Kreacher does like me.'

'Ok, well I'll see you two later. Ron and I will probably have an early night though, today was pretty intense.'

Seamus returned to his seat beside the fire when Harry had left. 'Have you heard any more about your mother?'

Draco shook his head. 'Kingsley said they caught one of the Death Eaters, so they should soon know what's happened to her.'

'That's good,' Seamus encouraged. 'When do you think you'll know?'

'Not sure. I suspect they'll contact me once they've found out.'

'I hope she's ok.'

Draco met Seamus's eye and smiled. 'Thanks.'

* * *

><p>Kingsley arrived as the sun was beginning to set. His face was solemn as he followed Harry into the study where Draco had remained chatting with Seamus. As he spotted Kingsley, Draco stood. The expression on Kingsley's face worried him, but before he could ask, the auror spoke. 'We have found your mother, Mr Malfoy. She is currently as St Mungo's. She is not conscious but I have been informed that she should recover.'<p>

'She's ok?'

'Yes.'

Draco breathed a sigh of relief. 'What happened to her?'

'She has been victim to the Cruciatus Curse, I am afraid to say. She is safe now.'

'I'd like to see her.'

'Certainly. I can take you now, if you are ready to go?'

'Yes, please.'

The visit to St Mungo's was brief as Narcissa was asleep. However, seeing her in person confirmed that she was alive after all, which comforted Draco. A healer informed Draco of what had happened to Narcissa and explained that it should take a week or two for her to recover. She needed to stay at St Mungo's for that time, but afterwards she could be released. Draco was pleased to hear that she could leave soon but wondered where they might go. What if the Ministry hadn't caught the other two Death Eaters by then?

When he was ready to leave, Kingsley transported him back to Grimmauld Place. Back at Harry's, Draco slipped up the stairs to bed silently. He wanted some time to think over the events of the day and to catch up on the sleep Seamus stole from him earlier.


	4. Chapter 4

By the end of the week Draco had come to almost enjoy living at Grimmauld Place, despite Ron's icy stares. Harry treated him kindly and Seamus was a good laugh. While Harry and Ron went to auror training, Draco and Seamus spent a lot of time together, it seemed mainly because Seamus got bored on his own.

Draco had expected to get through most days by himself, but that wasn't the case. Once Seamus woke up each morning he would grab breakfast and then find Draco. The Irish boy liked jokes and conversation and exploring every dusty corner of the house. To Draco's surprise, rather than being annoyed by the lack of quiet, he actually enjoyed Seamus's rambling and at times followed Seamus throughout the house's many rooms, watching as Seamus inspected cupboards and talked to the portraits.

The longest time Draco seemed to be alone was when Seamus had gone out to buy a set of new clothes to replace those lost in the fire and check on Iain. Despite not being officially housebound like Draco, Seamus had decided to stay in apart from that one outing.

Late on Saturday morning Harry and Ron left for the Burrow. Mrs Weasley was not yet used to Ron living away from home and expected him to return on weekends. She invited Harry along too, which Draco was secretly glad about. If Harry remained at home he might spend his time with Seamus, leaving Draco excluded. Perhaps it was selfish, for Seamus might want to hang out with Harry, but Draco didn't want to give up his only friend, even if only for the weekend.

After the two boys had left, Draco headed upstairs to Seamus's room. He knocked upon the heavy wooden door and was greeted by a mumbled groan. Opening the door, he found Seamus still lying in bed beneath a tangle of covers.

'You realise it's nearly eleven, Finnigan?'

'I'm on me holidays,' Seamus countered.

'Not forever. I thought you were going to start looking for a job again.'

Seamus stifled a yawn behind his hand and sat up in his bed. The covers fell to reveal his bare chest, which he didn't feel the need to cover. He shrugged. 'I'm enjoying being unemployed. Although I will need to find something soon, the little money I have won't last forever. Bloody lucky Harry isn't charging rent.'

'Well, I was wondering if you're thinking of getting up any time soon. I've been putting off breakfast until you got up.'

'Kreacher scares you?' Seamus asked with a grin.

Draco rolled his eyes. 'Hardly. Rather Weasley, he's been in there all morning and only just left. I thought I might as well ask if you wanted to join me now that the kitchen's free.' Draco thought of Ron again and huffed. 'He looks at me like something that crawled out of a swamp.'

'You two have always clashed,' Seamus mused. His smile faded. 'His brother Fred did die in the battle. That's not something you get over quickly.'

Draco sighed. He walked over to the bed and sat down on its edge, running a hand through his hair. 'I know,' he said at last. 'And I know he blames me. What am I supposed to do though? It wasn't my fault.'

'Give him time and he'll come around.'

Draco let out a disbelieving half-laugh. 'Do you really believe that?'

Seamus bit his lip. 'Better not answer that. How about we change the subject, yeah?'

'Good idea.'

'What's for breakfast?'

'Whatever I ask for.'

'Could you ask Kreacher to bring me up some eggs and bacon?' Seamus smirked. 'Please,' he added, fluttering his eyelashes.

'Breakfast in bed is a bad habit to get into.' Draco stood up again. 'Get up, don't be lazy.'

Seamus yawned again and stretched his arms over his head. 'Fine,' he said, pushing away the covers, revealing that he had slept in just his boxers. Draco could not help but take in the sight of Seamus's body as he wandered over to the armchair at the opposite side of the room. It had become a make-shirt wardrobe, as he was too lazy to pack his things away properly.

Seamus was very fit, Draco concluded. His waist was slim and the muscle of his arms and legs well defined. He looked strong, masculine. Draco felt his heart skip a beat. Merlin, Draco thought to himself, he was falling hard for Seamus. To be fair, with a body like Seamus's it would be hard for anybody to resist. He caught sight of Seamus's face in the mirror and realised he was even beginning to think that his unshaved stubble and teddy-bear face were oddly charming. Oh Merlin…

Draco's stomach sunk as he made eye contact with Seamus in the mirror. He'd been caught staring. An instant blush rose to Draco's pale cheeks as he averted his eyes, becoming very focused on the weave of the carpet.

Seamus turned around while he buttoned up his shirt. He had one eyebrow raised and a faint smile upon his face. He watched Draco silently. The heat continued to burn at Draco's face and he couldn't bring himself to look back at Seamus. He announced that he would wait downstairs, stuttering as he did so, and fled Seamus's room without a backwards glance.

As Draco swept himself down the stairs towards the kitchen he cursed himself over and over. How could he have been so careless? Seamus was sure to be suspicious now. What heterosexual guy would stare at his half-naked friend and then blush when caught? What a mess. How was he going to explain himself? He thought again of his mother, what knowing he was gay would do to her. Could he really hide his secret from Seamus now? Draco doubted it. But it wasn't necessarily the end of the world if Seamus knew; he would just have to bloody well keep it to himself.

Yet when Seamus appeared in the kitchen he did not mention what had happened in his room. He slipped into the seat at the table opposite Draco and grinned. 'Smells good, Kreacher,' he called to the house elf who was busy at the stove.

'Thank you, Master Finnigan,' Kreacher replied. 'Half-blood scum,' he muttered, just loud enough for the two boys at the table to hear.

Seamus laughed. 'Charming, isn't he?'

Draco nodded. Maybe Seamus hadn't seen anything after all. Or, more likely, he wasn't going to mention it around Kreacher. Draco's nerves subsided slightly but would not fade completely. He knew the confrontation was imminent. Why was he so nervous? It wasn't as if Seamus would react badly, he was attracted to guys too. And, Draco reminded himself, Seamus couldn't go telling anybody Draco's secret even if he wanted to – Draco knew Seamus's own secret. The thought cooled Draco's anxiety.

'Are you going to visit your mother today?' Seamus asked as Kreacher served their breakfast.

Draco shook his head. 'I'm going to be notified if there's any change with her or if she wakes up. The Ministry doesn't want me going out unless it's completely necessary. The Death Eaters knew I was at the pub on Sunday night, who's to say they don't know each time I'm going to St Mungo's? It's putting people in danger.' He glanced at the Daily Prophet lying folded further along the table and reached for it. He spread it out on the table beside him and began to read the front-page headline. Draco stopped though when he saw the date. He stared at it, completely befuddled as if it were defying the laws of the universe.

'What's up?' Seamus asked, twisting his head to try and read the headline, assuming that was what had caught Draco's attention.

'Look at the date,' came Draco's voice, quiet and distant.

'What about it?' Seamus said threw a mouthful of eggs.

'My birthday was three days ago. I missed it.'

Seamus swallowed before speaking again. 'Are you serious? How do you miss your own birthday? I thought you were supposed to be clever.'

'With everything else going on it just got forgotten, I guess. To be honest, even before the first attack I hadn't thought of it once. I don't think my mother was planning anything either, which she usually would do.'

'Well then, we have to celebrate.'

'What? No, don't be silly.'

Seamus looked at Draco as if he were the silly one. 'It was your birthday. You're nineteen. We _have _to celebrate.'

Draco grimaced. 'Why?'

'Because that's what you do when it's your birthday, Malfoy. Saints in Heaven, you're a strange one. Leave it all to me, I'll sort it out.'

Draco leant forward in his chair, eyes wide. 'Oh no, no you won't.'

'Don't you trust me?' Seamus asked with a grin.

'Not with my birthday, no.'

'Too bad.'

Draco groaned. He was not looking forward to whatever Seamus was planning. 'Just no party, ok?'

Seamus laughed. 'Who would come to a party for you?'

'Harsh, Finnigan. Although I suppose you're right.'

'It'll be even better than a party, believe me.'

'And when will this celebration be?'

'Tonight, of course. I'll need to go out and get some supplies though.'

At least that meant Seamus didn't have time to plan anything too outrageous. Although Draco knew he didn't need much time to organise something ridiculous, having been known at Hogwarts for his practical jokes and elaborate schemes, only second to the Weasley twins. Draco turned back to the paper and started flipping through the pages. 'I shouldn't have said anything,' he muttered.

Seamus laughed again, a wicked glint in his eye.

Once they had finished breakfast they moved to the study and lit the fire. Outside the windows the sky was a deep grey and the streets dark, the sun hidden behind thick clouds. A soft patter of rain on the windows complemented the crackling sounds of the fire. Draco hoped the weather might get worse and discourage Seamus going out for 'supplies'.

Seamus collapsed into what had unofficially become his armchair but stood up again as quickly as he had sat down. Draco eyed him curiously as he hurried to an old, unused wardrobe standing in the corner of the room. From one of its dusty shelves he retrieved a dark wood box and returned to Draco with a grin. 'Wizard chess,' he said as he placed the box on a small table and slid it between his and Draco's chairs.

'Oh, no,' Draco sighed. 'Must we? Wizard chess is so messy.'

Seamus replied that they must indeed, and opened the box and set up the board. Draco felt what little enthusiasm he had increase slightly when he saw the chess pieces themselves. They were polished wood, intricately carved and very beautiful. Then he remembered this was wizard chess, which meant the pieces were violent and showed no mercy for one another. They would soon be broken, splinted into hundreds of pieces. While Draco knew they would return to their current beauty once the game was over, he still did not fancy seeing such destruction. It seemed Seamus was determined to play, however.

Draco inspected the box the set had been held in. Upon it were words written in very old English, some of it he could not understand. The pieces and the board must be very old indeed. 'When did you find this?' he asked Seamus.

'Just the other day while you were at St Mungo's. I got bored.'

'Are you sure Harry appreciates you raking through his stuff?'

'Probably not, but he knows me pretty well by now. If there was anything he didn't want me to find it would be well hidden.'

Draco laughed. Seamus could never have been in Slytherin. He was far too open and honest. All of the Slytherins Draco knew had been sneaky and sly. Everybody knew that they all searched through other people's property that hadn't been hidden or protected to a high enough degree, but nobody admitted it. Draco understood there was no reason for Seamus to see his actions as a bad thing – he was simply looking for entertainment, whereas the Slytherins wanted any sliver of information they could use against each other.

Draco sat back while Seamus keenly set up the board. So far over his time at Grimmauld Place, Draco had found himself not once frustrated by any of Seamus's Gryffindor-like traits or his strong personality. Even now he was admiring his openness rather than condemning it, which he would have done no so long ago.

As different as the two boys were, Draco was beginning to think that perhaps their opposite personalities were aiding the development of their friendship rather than hindering it as expected. Seamus encouraged Draco to have fun and Draco had surprisingly been a suitable companion for banter, stopping Seamus from doing anything too unwise like transforming the staircases into slides.

'You can be white,' Seamus said once the board was ready. 'Only fair seeing as we both know I'm going to win.'

'Is that so, Finnigan? I hope you know that overconfidence isn't pretty.'

'That true? Well, it's lucky I'm incredibly gorgeous to start with, isn't it?'

'Ha! And you call me arrogant.'

'Quit stalling, Malfoy. You can't put off losing forever.'

* * *

><p>Seamus reigned victorious as he had expected. After Draco's king had fallen the rest of the pieces restored themselves and settled back into their box. It had been a close game despite Seamus being sure he would win. Chess was a game of logic, which Draco happened to be quite adept with.<p>

'As winner I get to ask you a question,' Seamus said with a smirk.

'What? I don't remember agreeing to this.'

'You didn't. It's the rules.'

'Not a rule I've heard of before.'

Seamus clapped his hands together and chuckled. 'Scared?'

Draco rolled his eyes but a faint smile played on his lips. 'Hardly. Out with it then, what's so important you had to play a whole game of chess in order to ask me?'

Seamus sat for a moment longer laughing to himself, which Draco found quite disconcerting. His own smile faded. Could this be about what happened earlier in Seamus's bedroom. Oh Merlin, was he about to ask if Draco was gay? Draco shifted in his seat under Seamus's gaze.

Finally, Seamus sat forward in the armchair. 'I've been dying to know, what was it like hugging Voldemort?'

Draco's mouth fell open. 'That's it? That's what you want to know?'

Seamus nodded. 'Looked bloody awkward.'

Draco let out a relieved sigh and started to laugh. 'Awkward? More like terrifying.' The memory swam to the forefront of Draco's mind and he dropped his gaze to the flames of the fire. 'It was horrific, all of it,' he said quietly.

Seamus's laughter died with Draco's words. 'You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. I shouldn't have mentioned it.'

'No, it's ok.' Draco looked back at Seamus. What happened during the war had been locked away in Draco's mind, not to be shared with anyone. But now Draco had an almost overwhelming urge to tell Seamus everything. He needed Seamus to know that he wasn't evil, never really wanted the war to happen at all. What would Seamus think of him though? The Irishman had fought for what was right all along. He had been tough and never afraid to choose right over wrong. Every action of Draco's had been made out of fear. Would Seamus think badly of him, or would he understand that Draco never really had a choice?

Draco smiled faintly. 'Actually, I want to. I've never spoken about it to anyone before.'

'Never?' Seamus exclaimed.

Draco shook his head.

'That's not healthy.'

'I know. I guess I've just not had anyone to talk to yet. My mother, she'd probably just blame herself if I ever let on how I felt about it all.' For a moment his gaze hardened and mouth set firm. 'I don't want your pity,' he said. 'I'm not asking for forgiveness either, or think any of this can justify what I did. But…' Draco's expression softened again. 'I want you to know the truth.'

Seamus nodded. 'I'd like to know.'

'Well, where else to start than with my father? It all comes back to him really, everything that I did at Hogwarts and during the war. All my life he was cold and distant and all I wanted to do was to get his approval. I did whatever he asked. By the time I realised how wrong it all was, it was too late. He'd brainwashed me, forced me to take the Dark Mark. I was simply a tool to help him gain favour with the Dark… with V-Voldemort.'

Draco stopped and took a deep breath. 'He wasn't a father to me. When I finally figured out what I meant to him I knew that if I crossed him, I'd be dead. That's what happened on our side. Everybody was expendable; it was either kill or be killed. So I did whatever they asked of me. Voldemort told me to kill Dumbledore – it was either the old man or me.

'Did you know that Voldemort was living in our house? Everyday I wondered if today was the day he'd finally decide he had no more uses for me. He tortured and killed people in our basement. I could hear their screams; the noises filled the entire house.

'And I was so… so…' Draco ran a hand through his hair. Why was this next part so hard to say, so hard to admit? It went against everything he had ever known, that's why. He was taught not to reveal his emotions, not to even feel anything other than hate. But Seamus was waiting, and Draco wanted Seamus to know. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. 'I was so scared,' he whispered.

'I'm not surprised,' Seamus replied. 'It must have been awful.' His voice was soft and sincere, and his words were completely honest.

Draco opened his eyes. 'I must sound like such a baby. You were a half-blood living under the Carrows at Hogwarts, you had far more to be scared about than me.'

'We can't compare our experiences. Nothing good will come of it.'

Draco sighed. 'I guess not. Don't get me wrong, by the end I wanted Voldemort as dead as the rest of you, but ever since I've been so… angry. My life's so messed up because I couldn't stand up to my father.'

Seamus sat forward on the edge of the chair. He leaned forward and looked into Draco's eyes. 'I don't blame you for what you did. You didn't have a choice, did you? Kill or be killed, yeah? I'd hate to think what I would have done in your shoes.'

'You'd have done the right thing,' Draco muttered.

'Don't be so sure of that. The best of us can do horrible things if there's no alternative.'

Draco shook his head. 'You would have died rather than do the things I did. I'm sure of that.'

'Perhaps. But look, what's done is done. We can't change the past so there's not point getting lost in it. You said you didn't want forgiveness, but it's what you deserve. I can tell that you're sorry and you've got a lot of regrets. So here, I'm telling you now that it's ok. Stop beating yourself up about it.'

Draco sunk his head into his hands. When he was sure his eyes were dry again he looked back up. 'I want to forget about it,' he said. 'But how can I? I've got a constant reminder burnt into my arm.' He unbuttoned the cuff of his left shirtsleeve and rolled it up, revealing a pale forearm. A faded, scar-like image of the Dark Mark was still visible, marring the pure-white skin.

Seamus reached out hesitantly and, checking with Draco that it was ok to do so, gingerly traced the lines with one finger. 'It's so cold,' he whispered.

'I know. It's creepy. I don't know if it'll ever disappear completely.'

Seamus looked back and met Draco's eye. Draco recognised sadness behind the Irish boy's eyes that he hadn't seen before. He was sure those eyes mirrored his own. It seemed talking about the war just brought everyone down, so Draco made a mental note to never voluntarily mention it again. Seamus blinked and the sadness seemed to be erased, replaced by the usual glimmer of mischievous thoughts swimming through his mind. He reached for the sleeve of Draco's shirt and rolled it back down, covering up the mark.

'Better?' he asked Draco.

'Not really. I think I just made us both feel bad.'

Seamus smiled. 'It'll help in the long run, believe me,' he said as he stood up and stretched his arms high above his head, pulling his shirt slightly above the waistband of his jeans. Draco turned his head to face the fire but couldn't resist taking a peak from the corner of his eye. When Seamus returned his arms to his sides and fixed his shirt's position, Draco pretended to be very focused up on the dancing flames. 'I'm going to head out while it's not raining,' Seamus told him.

'You really don't have to,' Draco replied.

'Stop complaining, you're not getting your way.'

'I'm not complaining, I mean it. My birthday's not important.'

'It's an excuse to have some fun though.'

'I'm worried we might have quite different definitions of fun.'

Seamus waved away Draco's concern. 'I'll be back later,' he called out from the hallway, heading upstairs to get his shoes and a jacket.

Draco sank back into the armchair. A smile played upon his lips, threatening to turn into an ear-to-ear grin. Even though he had a suspicion Seamus was planning something that Draco wouldn't approve of, he had to admit he was happy that Seamus wanted to celebrate in some way. It was more likely he just wanted an excuse to act silly or get drunk, but Draco didn't mind. Seamus didn't need an excuse to do those things; there must be an element of celebration in his plans. The thought overcame Draco's attempt to not get too excited. A proper smile broke out upon his face.

As the front door closed shut with a click, Draco curled himself up into the chair. He didn't feel like reading or doing anything else. He rested his head against the padded chair and closed his eyes. Almost immediately he began to feel tired. It had been a stressful week.

He was pleased that Seamus seemed to accept his brief explanation of his role in the war. It brought about a feeling of relief and calm. However, in the back of Draco's mind he was constantly aware that Death Eaters still wanted to find him. Nothing good could happen without something bad cancelling it out. His mother had still not awoken either. The healers at St Mungo's believed she would recover, but until she regained consciousness they would not be able to assess how much the torture had affected her. What if she ended up like Neville Longbottom's parents? The thought had circled through Draco's mind often and made him feel sick.

Now in the warm room he felt himself drifting off to sleep and welcomed it. After spending so much time with Seamus he didn't want to be alone with his thoughts anymore.

* * *

><p>The slamming of the front door woke Draco. He yawned and looked to the windows, which showed a dark grey sky and rain running down the glass like a waterfall. He could hear Seamus muttering in the hallway. Draco got up to see what the problem was. It quickly became clear that Seamus was annoyed by how soaking wet he was.<p>

'Maybe you'll take an umbrella next time?'

Seamus shivered. 'It looked ok when I left.'

'You can't always count on the weather to stay good. Stand still and I'll put a drying spell on you.'

Within a minute Seamus was dry again, standing in a small puddle on the floor. Draco pointed his wand at the water but was stopped by a shriek from behind him. He turned quickly, wand raised, to see Kreacher holding a handful of rags.

'Master Draco should not be cleaning up after this half-blood fool,' Kreacher spoke, glaring up at Seamus.

'It's ok, Kreacher.'

'No, Kreacher would feel most guilty for Master Draco doing such work.'

Draco turned back to Seamus who shrugged and wandered into the study, giving the old house elf as wide a berth as possible. Draco followed, happy to return to the warm room.

'So,' he said as he closed the door behind himself, 'where are these supplies you braved such awful weather to collect?'

Seamus opened his jacket and reached inside, retrieving a bottle of what Draco recognised as Fire Whisky. Seamus winked. 'Best in Britain,' he said. 'Not that that's saying much. It does the trick though.'

'You're not getting me drunk, Finnigan. Some of us have a reputation we have to uphold.'

Seamus set the bottle on the table and shrugged off his jacket, throwing it onto the couch. He eyed Draco for a moment. 'Have you never been drunk before, Malfoy?'

'For Merlin's sake, of course I've been drunk before. I've simply done it in more dignified company, that which I could trust to not engage in completely ridiculous behaviour under the influence.'

'Oh, get over yourself. What's the point of drinking if you won't have any fun?'

'Slippery slope, that attitude.'

Seamus shook his head. 'We don't have to, I just thought it might be a laugh.'

Draco picked up the bottle and examined it. He supposed it might be fun to see Seamus drunk, that's if you could get an Irishman drunk. The myth that their blood was slightly alcoholic to start with had always seemed quite plausible, at least if you considered the Irish people Draco had met in the past. Draco had no one to impress, he didn't really have any reputation left to uphold either. A drink or two wouldn't be the end of the world. He sat the bottle back on the table and met Seamus's eye. 'One drink,' he told Seamus.

Seamus laughed. 'One drink has a funny way of turning into two, and two into three.'

'I happen to have vast stores of self-control,' Draco countered. 'One drink means one drink.'

'We'll see about that.'

* * *

><p>The room was hot, too hot. Draco could feel that his face was flushed, his cheeks bright pink. He had already stripped off his jumper and was now sitting on the couch in the study in his trousers and shirt, the top two buttons undone. Seamus sat at the opposite end of the couch, much less affected by the alcohol than Draco. He was, however, feeling a buzz.<p>

'Another drink?' he asked Draco.

Draco was about to agree but stopped himself. He looked slyly at Seamus. 'You're trying to get me drunk.'

Seamus chuckled. 'Why would I want to do that?'

'Because you want to make a fool of me.'

'Do I?'

'Mm-hmm.' Draco laughed to himself. He stood up, wobbled slightly, but kept his balance. 'But you can't do it. You'll have to catch me first!'

Seamus laughed as Draco stumbled away towards the study door. He threw it open and raced into the hallway, the cool air pleasant on his hot skin. 'I'm too fast for you, stumpy legs!'

Seamus almost fell off the couch. 'Stumpy legs? That's one to tell the guys. I'll show you, Malfoy.' He jumped up and ran towards the door with more grace than Draco had managed. As he rounded the corner and came into the hallway, Draco bounded up the stairs. Seamus pulled out his wand, deciding he couldn't pass up this opportunity to have some real fun. He shot a volley of harmless sparks up the stairs and started running after Draco. 'I'm going to get you, Malfoy!'

Draco's laughing echoed through the house. 'Doubt it, Finnigan.'

Seamus quickly caught up as Draco struggled to run in a straight line and was slowed by the alcohol, having to grab onto the wall for support if he ran through a corner too fast. Seamus shot another set of sparks after Draco, which made Draco yelp and Seamus almost collapsed from laughing.

Draco disappeared up the third flight of stairs and whipped into his bedroom, slamming the door behind him. He fumbled with his wand but managed to flick the lights on before he climbed onto the bed and flopped down on his back, breathing heavily. He chuckled to himself again. Being drunk could be fun, he thought.

Within a minute Seamus was bursting through the door. 'I've got you now, Malfoy,' he called out, running full-speed towards the bed. Draco closed his eyes instinctively as Seamus leapt at him, a moment later landing solidly on his stomach.

'Ooph!' Draco let out as Seamus's muscly form pinned him to the bed.

Seamus broke down again in a fit of laughing, barely managing to sit up straight. His legs rested on either side of Draco's torso, trapping the taller boy beneath him. Draco gingerly opened his eyes and looked up at Seamus, whose face was pink now too, and who was grinning down at him. He became aware of the weight resting on top of him, the other warm body touching his, and his smile faded. 'Merlin, you're heavy,' he tried to joke, but he couldn't ignore how close Seamus was, how his eyes were still fixed on Draco's.

Seamus didn't reply but continued to watch Draco. Slowly, he let one hand fall to Draco's chest. When this didn't garner any reaction he started to trail his fingers lightly across the material of Draco's shirt. Draco felt as if his heart was in his mouth, he could hear his pulse in his ears. He didn't know how to respond to Seamus's touch but even if he did, he wouldn't have been able to. He felt frozen. Seamus's hand worked down to Draco's stomach and then back up, pausing at his shirt collar. When his fingers touched Draco's skin Draco gasped and bit his lip. The intensity of feeling pouring through him was overwhelming, and it all originated from that one spot where Seamus was touching him.

Seamus leant down towards Draco achingly slowly. He let both hands slide up Draco's neck and into his hair. Draco remained still, his pulse quickening further. This was surreal, a dream. He could feel Seamus's hot breath on his face, sweet and laced with alcohol. At that moment Draco felt like he was floating, flying through space, as if the bed were a million miles away and nobody existed in the world but him and Seamus.

When Seamus's eyes closed Draco felt his own eyelids automatically fall shut. And then Seamus's lips were on his. His kiss was gentle but powerful, surprisingly sweet while at the same time as intense as Seamus was himself. He softly worked opened Draco's mouth and slipped his tongue inside, to which Draco eagerly responded.

He finally rediscovered the ability to move his arms and wrapped them around Seamus, trailing his hands over the Irish boy's back, waist, hips. He pulled him closer, wanting to feel Seamus's body on his everywhere he could. Each point of contact between them sent surges of electricity through Draco, a wild rush unlike anything he had felt before. Nobody he had ever kissed had done this to him.

But this was wrong. What happened to Draco's rule of no-guys? Surely he could have a bit of fun in secret, nobody had to know. But Draco didn't want to just have a bit of fun. What did he want? As clichéd and silly as it sounded, he wanted somebody to care for him. Unfortunately Seamus wasn't that someone. Seamus wanted a quick shag, like he obviously had with that curly-haired guy they discovered in the pub. Draco had to put an end to this.

Draco twisted his head away from Seamus. 'Stop,' he murmured. 'We can't do this.'

Seamus pulled away abruptly. 'What?' Why not?'

'We just can't.'

'I'm not going to tell anybody. It's ok.'

Draco moved his hands to Seamus's chest and pushed him away. Seamus unwillingly fell to one side, collapsing onto the bed and releasing Draco. He watched with furrowed brows as Draco sat up and slid off the bed, walking towards the large windows at the end of the room.

'Can you just… just leave me alone for a while?' Draco asked.

'Can't we just have a bit of fun?'

Draco whipped around. 'Maybe I don't want to just have fun with you, Finnigan.'

Seamus's eye narrowed. He jumped off the bed and marched over to Draco. 'I'm not good enough, am I? Finally realised I'm just a dirty little half-blood? Get over yourself, Malfoy, you're not so special.'

Draco rolled his eyes. 'Or maybe I'm just not into one-night stands.'

'Think that makes you better than me? You're as arrogant and self-obsessed as you've always been,' Seamus spat before storming across the room and through the door, leaving Draco wide-eyed and speechless. Seamus had always been fiery, but wasn't that an overreaction? He must have misunderstood what Draco meant.

Draco sighed. 'Wait, hold on,' he called out, rushing downstairs to Seamus's room. He moved slower than he would have under normal circumstance. His head was pounding and vision spinning slightly. When he arrived he found Seamus with a bag packed on his bed, pulling on a pair of shoes.

'Don't be such a girl, Finnigan. Let me explain. I meant I want… No, I don't know what I want but…'

Seamus wasn't listening. He picked up his bag and was gone with a _crack_. Draco cursed himself for being so ambiguous. There went his only friend. Why couldn't he have allowed himself to enjoy the moment, to touch another guy and be touched? Why was he so hung up on being loved if he was determined to stay forever alone? Draco didn't know. His reasoning was flawed all his desires and plans contradicted each other. The realisation that Seamus was into him – even if only for a drunken hook-up – didn't even elicit any response from him. When would he figure out what he really wanted? And if he ever did, would he allow himself to take it?


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning Draco did not rise at his usual early time. Instead he stayed in bed as the glow of the sun outside gradually grew brighter around the edge of the curtains. At least he had managed to sleep off the alcohol and was not left with a hangover. His head still hurt from the buzzing thoughts that would not leave him alone though. Today they had to get sorted out. He could not spend another day being so indecisive about his future; it was only hurting rather than helping.

What did Draco really want? If his mother didn't matter, if other people had no opinions, what would he choose? Someone, he'd choose someone. Draco didn't want to spend his life alone. He did welcomed isolation at times and believed he would be ok on his own, working as a potions master or studying ancient magic, whatever he fancied, but the dark shadow of loneliness that loomed over this future was discomforting.

Draco wanted someone to spend his life with. He wanted a relationship. And now Draco had someone in mind. He had to admit that he was falling hard for Seamus. As absurd as the fact seemed, it was completely true. There was something about his carefree nature, his love for laughter and trouble, how much stronger he was than Draco despite being shorter, his shining eyes and cheeky grin, it all made Draco shiver with desire. But his mother did matter. What she might think scared Draco. Even other people mattered. If they knew his secret and didn't accept him, he would continue to be friendless.

It all came back to who he was, a Malfoy. He had been so used to having his family's reputation to protect him from conflict that having to face potential disapproval for his sexuality was a very new feeling. It was disconcerting. Draco didn't care what people thought of him anymore, he cared about how they might react to him. He didn't want to be ignored. But could he live a lonely life he didn't want? There didn't seem to be any middle ground. Either he risked everything for love, or played it safe and gave up what he really wanted.

Draco sighed and threw the covers over his head, blocking out the light that was continuing to stream into the room from around the curtains. Even if he lived in a world where he could love whoever he wanted, who's to say Seamus would love him back? He was a lad, uninterested in relationships lasting longer than a night. So why did he react so badly to the thought that Draco didn't like him, didn't think highly of him. Was it simply to do with his pride, or was there more to it?

Draco tried desperately to hold onto the sliver of hope that said maybe Seamus really did like Draco more deeply than he had let on, but it was difficult. The small glimmer he could see in his mind's eye was already fading. Seamus was angry with him and Draco had no idea where he'd gone.

A knock came at the door, rousing Draco from his thoughts.

'Master Draco?' Kreacher popped his head around the door. 'You have a visitor.'

'Who?'

'An auror. He's in the hallway. Swept in with dirt all over his shoes after Kreacher just cleaned the floor.'

'Thank you, Kreacher,' Draco replied, dismissing the elf. He sighed once the door had been closed again. His stomach started to twinge with nerves. What could this be about? Was it Death Eaters? His mother? Was she ok? Draco jumped out of bed, hurriedly dressed and ran a comb through his hair. He struggled to make it stay in place. As soon as he was allowed out of the house he would be getting a haircut.

Draco raised an eyebrow at the auror standing in the hallway. It was not Kingsley but a thin, wiry, middle-aged man with salt-and-pepper hair and silver-rimmed glasses. He seemed to be admiring the wallpaper and didn't notice Draco appear.

'Hello, sir?'

The auror spun around, his robes swirling across the floor as he did so. 'Ah yes, Mr Malfoy,' he said, an air of distaste in his voice. 'Are you ready to go?'

'Sorry, but who are you?'

'Auror Taylor, Johnson Taylor. I was told to fetch you.'

Bit of a backwards name, Draco thought. He concealed his amusement and instead said, 'Right. And where are we going?'

Johnson Taylor rolled his eyes with a lack of subtlety. 'St Mungo's,' he drawled. Right. Where else would Draco be allowed to go? 'Your mother awoke in the night.'

'Is she ok?'

Johnson shrugged. 'I assume so.'

Draco huffed. He much preferred Kingsley. 'Ok, let's go,' he said, deciding he would speak to a St Mungo's healer when they arrived at the hospital rather than waste any more breath on Johnson.

St Mungo's seemed as busy as usual. The waiting room was full of witches and wizards either looking ill or anxious, and children with snivelling noses playing with toys. He avoided eye contact with those in the waiting room attempting to catch his gaze or who simply forgot that staring was rude. Soon a witch appeared behind the reception desk.

'I'm here to visit my mother, Narcissa Malfoy,' he said.

'Certainly. Right this way. I believe Healer Samgrass is with her now.' Samgrass was the healer in charge of Narcissa's case. She had spoken to Draco the last times he visited, explaining any changes that had occurred in his mother's state and was always optimistic about her recovery. Unlike many others, she seemed unperturbed to be dealing with the wife and son of Lucius Malfoy.

The witch from reception let Draco into the familiar room and then hurried back down the corridor. Healer Samgrass stood over Narcissa's bed, talking to her as she sat propped up by a number of pillows. Her eyes lit up when she spotted Draco.

'Oh, Draco,' she said, her voice very quiet, 'I've been so looking forward to seeing you. How are you?'

'I'm fine, mother,' Draco replied as he took a seat beside her bed. 'How are you?'

'Alive.'

'She's doing very well,' Samgrass added with a smile. 'I had been beginning to worry about how long she was remaining unconscious, but after waking up last night she's been fine. As if she had just been napping.'

Draco gave his mother a weak smile. He was relived to see that she was ok but his thoughts from earlier were still crashing about his mind like waves upon rocks. He couldn't think of what else to say. Fortunately, Samgrass continued.

'I've just been saying that Narcissa will need to remain here for a while longer so we can monitor her condition. However, if all goes well, in another few days she should be free to go home. Unless you have any questions, I'll leave you two to catch up.'

Draco shook his head. Samgrass slipped out of the door and left mother and son in silence. Narcissa rested her head back against the pillows. She smiled at Draco. 'I'm glad to see you again, Draco.'

'Do you want me to tell you about what's gone on since the attack?'

'I've already had an auror in here informing me of all the grief they've caused. I'm glad you're ok though. What is it like living with Potter?'

Draco shrugged. 'Fine. He and Kreacher, the house elf, have been very welcoming. Weasley, not so much.'

'Weasley?'

'He's living with Potter now. They're both training to be aurors. Can't say I know how Weasley got himself accepted into the program. Riding off his reputation as one third of the Golden Trio, I suspect.'

Narcissa didn't reply. She watched Draco with her large eyes, her brows furrowed slightly. 'Is something wrong, Draco?'

'No, of course not,' he replied, voice thick with sarcasm. 'You're in hospital and there are Death Eaters who want us dead, but everything's just sunshine and rainbows.'

'Don't take that attitude. I can tell that something else is wrong. Tell me.'

'It's ok, mother. You don't need to worry about me.'

'Whether I need to or not is of no importance. You're my son; I'm going to worry about you no matter what. Now please, for my own peace of mind, let me know what's going on so I can try and help.'

Draco dropped his gaze to the floor. Should he tell her? His heart was racing and his stomach felt as if it were twisting itself into knots. He knew the answer. It was now or never. Draco wanted little else in that moment but to know whether he would ever see Seamus again, whether he would ever kiss him again. Coming clean to his mother would break down one of the barriers stopping him from reaching Seamus. It had to be done.

'I don't know how to say this,' Draco said at last. 'I never wanted to tell you because I didn't want you to be disappointed. I thought if I ignored it then I would forget about it, that is would get easier to deal with. That's not the case, however.' He looked back up and met his mother's eye. She nodded, encouraging him to continue. 'While I've been staying at Potter's I've gotten to know one of his friends, who I like a lot. I think he may like me too.' Draco let his words hang in the air. Slowly, understanding dawned on Narcissa's face. Draco bit his lip. 'I'm gay,' he whispered.

Narcissa reached out and took Draco's hand, squeezing it in hers. 'I can't say I'm pleased, but I'm not unhappy either. All I want for you these days is to be happy. Your father spent too much of your childhood and adolescence using you as a tool to gain him power. Now it's finally your turn to live the life you want. Don't worry about what I think, Draco. I would die for you because I love you. Never try protect me if it means creating misery for yourself.'

Draco smiled. A wave of relief and calm washed over him. 'Thank you.'

* * *

><p>Johnson dropped Draco off on the doorstep of twelve Grimmauld Place. As instructed, he waited until Draco was indoors and he heard the lock click before disapparating. Draco walked towards the kitchen with lightness in his step. He found it hard to believe how well his mother had reacted to his confession, but knew it had been real. If only he knew where Seamus was and could sort out the mess he'd made.<p>

Draco barely reached the doorway before Ron came rushing forward, almost colliding with him. His eyes were narrowed and cut like shards of glass into Draco. 'What did you do, you slimy git?'

'Ron, please,' Harry called from the kitchen. 'Let's not make assumptions.' Ron didn't move. He blocked Draco's path and continued to glare. Harry appeared behind him. 'How about we give Malfoy a chance to explain? He wasn't necessarily involved.'

'Why bother? He'll just lie to save his own skin like his family always does.'

Draco turned his nose up at Ron. 'Save the insults, Weasley. I'm not interested. What are you accusing me of doing anyway?'

'You've gone and thrown Seamus out of Harry's house. He's got more of a right to be here than you, you know.'

'It wasn't like that,' Draco shot back.

'Oh yeah? Why don't you tell us what it was like then?'

Draco opened his mouth to speak but his words died on his tongue. He couldn't tell Ron or Harry what really happened. 'We had an argument,' Draco offered. 'Finnigan let his fiery temper getting the better of him, unsurprisingly.'

'Oh, so he chose to leave?'

'Well, I hardly could, could I?'

Ron's eyes seemed to narrow further. 'Who's stopping you? I'm certainly not.'

Draco ignored this last statement and turned his gaze on Harry. 'How do you two know about this anyway?'

'An owl dropped off a letter from Seamus. It explained that he was moving out. I went and checked his room and all his things were gone.'

Draco felt a twinge of disappointment within him. He'd been wondering if maybe Seamus only needed time to cool off and would come back in a day or so. It seemed his plans were quite solid after all. 'Did he say where he was?' he asked, trying to sound casual.

'Neville's place.'

Draco turned back to Ron. 'That's not far away. I'm sure you and Finnigan could arrange a play-date if you start to miss each other too much.'

'Shove off, Malfoy.'

'Certainly.' He peered over Harry's shoulder and spotted Kreacher at the stove. 'Kreacher?'

'Yes, Master Draco?'

'I'll eat lunch in my room.'

'Yes, Master Draco. Kreacher shall bring your meal to you.'

'Thank you.' He looked back between Harry and Ron. 'If either of you want me, I'll be in my room.' With that, Draco turned on his heel and marched silently towards the staircase. He could hear Ron muttering after him, but took no notice. He was too absorbed by ideas of how he could reach Seamus to explain himself. However, before Draco managed to reach the top of the stairs, a knock came at the door. Harry shuffled past to answer it. He unlocked the door and Kingsley Shacklebolt swept into the room.

'Good afternoon, Harry,' he said with a smile. 'I trust you are well.'

'Very. How are you, Kingsley?'

'Fine, thank you. Is our visitor here?' Harry gestured behind him and Kingsley looked up to meet Draco's eye. 'Ah, Mr Malfoy. Do you have a moment?'

Draco sighed inwardly but nodded at Kingsley. 'Of course.'

Kingsley and Draco moved to the kitchen while Harry shoved an even angrier Ron into the hallway. Draco shut the door behind them, suspecting Ron would take any chance he could get to eavesdrop. He joined Kingsley at the table.

'As you know,' Kingsley began, 'we have had no further trace of the Death Eaters since the attack on pub. The one we captured could tell us where they had been hiding, but when aurors searched the house nothing much was found. Our department has decided to move you and your mother to a safe house further up north as it seems you may need to be under protection for some time longer. We don't want to intrude on Harry further.'

'How far up north?' Draco's voice wavered slightly. He sat up straighter, trying to look unperturbed.

Kingsley shrugged. 'We have a house in the midlands free for your use. I can't be more specific about where for security reasons. You will have auror protection.'

Draco's stomach dropped. How was he supposed to sort out his relationship with Seamus if he was living in the midlands? It was ridiculous to expect him to move so far away. However, he knew it wasn't fair to ask Harry to accommodate him indefinitely. 'When do we move?'

'I spoke with a healer on my way here. She has told me to expect your mother's release within a day or so as she is making good progress. So within a couple of days we would like to implement the move.'

Draco nodded, keeping all traces of disappointment from his face. His expression was cool and emotionless. 'I'll make sure I collect all of my things.'

'I'm glad you accept, Mr Malfoy. Do you have any questions?' Draco shook his head. 'Very well. If you don't mind, I'm just going to have a word with Harry.'

Draco remained in the kitchen until he heard Kingsley leave. He slipped into the study and searched for the bottle of Fire Whisky, hoping Seamus had left it behind. He found it under the couch and quickly retrieved it.

Silently, Draco hurried up the staircase and made it to his own room without meeting Harry or Ron, and locked the door with a flick of his wand. As much as he disagreed with the undignified nature of drinking away your sorrows, Draco planned to do just that. He set the bottle on the desk in the corner below the window, threw off his jumper and shoes, and returned to the bottle. With graceful fingers he unscrewed the cap and took a bitter mouthful.

'Merlin,' Draco cursed. 'Just as nasty as last time.' He took a second swig for Seamus, swallowed, and collapsed onto the bed, bottle in hand.

After a fair amount of drinking and grumbling, Draco ended up asleep until just past ten. He awoke feeling groggy. It would have been a good idea to get into his pyjamas and crawl back under the covers, but drunk Draco had other ideas. He yawned and stretched before sliding off the bed. He found his shoes and jacket, stumbling over his own feet only once, and crept into the hallway.

Stopping in the bathroom to check his reflection and splash water on his face, Draco decided he looked fairly presentable. Continuing on to the kitchen he tried to make as little noise as possible, knowing Harry and Ron would already be asleep in order to be up early in the morning for another week of auror training. Draco reached the kitchen and flicked on the lights. 'Kreacher?' he whispered.

A rustling came from the back cupboard, and a moment later Kreacher appeared in the light. 'Master Draco, what do you need? Kreacher will get it for you.'

'I need to go to the house of Neville Longbottom.' Draco ignored the suspicious look upon Kreacher's face. 'It's very important.'

'Master isn't supposed to leave the house.'

'I can look after myself, thank you. Can you take me there?' Kreacher nodded grudgingly. 'Good.' Draco stepped forward and held out his hand, which Kreacher hesitantly took. The elf sighed, waiting for Draco to change his mind. When he didn't, Kreacher shrugged and disapparated them. He couldn't refuse a request from Draco.

In a moment they were gone, leaving behind only the reverberated echoes of a sharp _crack _drifting through the quiet house.


	6. Chapter 6

Draco stumbled as they landed on the stony path leading up to Neville's house - or, as began to dawn on Draco, Neville's _grandmother's _house. Oh well, he thought in his semi-drunk state. He could deal with any awkward confrontations if they happened. 'You can go now, Kreacher.'

'Kreacher wonders if he should keep an eye on Master Draco.'

'If you must,' Draco sighed. 'Stay here. Once I'm in the house you can leave. Otherwise you can take me back to Potter's.' Draco wandered up the dark path to the house. It was a white and blue villa with bougainvillea and creeping plants neatly growing across the veranda. The house was quiet and no lights were on but Draco knocked on the front door anyway. He was surprised to be answered, barely a few moments later, by a house elf.

'Seamus Finnigan here?' Draco asked. The elf gazed up at him with large saucer-like eyes, her hands gripping the edge of the door.

'May Betsy ask who is calling at such an hour, sir? Mister Finnigan is in bed.'

'Draco Malfoy. I must see him.'

'Oh, I don't know, sir,' she said, her eyes darting between Draco and the floor.

'Please, uh – Betsy, was it? It's very important.'

A light flickered on in the hallway. Betsy jumped and turned around. Draco's eyes lit up at the familiar face that appeared from a room on the right. 'I had to see you,' he said quietly as Seamus made his way to the door.

Rubbing sleep out of his eyes, Seamus managed to ask, 'What the bloody hell are you doing here, Malfoy?'

'I had to see you,' Draco repeated. 'I have to explain.'

Seamus eyed him curiously. He leaned forwards and sniffed. 'Are you drunk?'

Draco shrugged. 'I had a drink or two.'

Seamus shook his head. 'You'd better come in. I can't believe the aurors let you out this late stinking of booze.'

'Well, they didn't exactly,' Draco said causally as he stepped into the hall. Betsy closed the door behind him and skittered away. Seamus's eyes grew wide.

'You came by yourself?'

'Kreacher brought me.'

'Saints in Heaven, do you know how stupid that was? There are Death Eaters after you, Malfoy. You could've been killed.'

Draco ran a hand through his hair. 'Look, they want to send us away – somewhere in the midlands of all places! I had to see you and explain what happened the other day.'

'Keep your voice down. Come on, we can talk in my room. Neville and his grandmother's rooms are upstairs.'

Once inside Seamus's room, Draco collapsed onto the bed. Seamus rolled his eyes but sat down beside him. 'Maybe this explaining should wait until you're sober.'

Draco shook his head. 'I've got to tell you now. It's important.' He sat back up and turned to Seamus, edging slightly closer. Seamus automatically leant backwards. Draco didn't seem to notice. 'When I stopped you the other day, it's because I didn't want to go _there_ with anybody. I thought I could just ignore my secret – that I'm gay – and it would go away. But I can't ignore you. You've been on my mind constantly since you left. I even told my mother about me, and she said it's ok. So I don't have to hide anymore, at least not from her.'

Seamus exhaled heavily. 'I don't know what to say.'

'Say you feel the same way.'

'You need to get to sleep. Come on, get these things off and you can sleep in my bed. This one's a lot bigger than the one in the pub, eh?'

'You don't like me, do you? You just wanted a shag,' Draco said, his voice growling but eyes looking pained.

Seamus drew close to Draco, his eyes narrowed. 'Don't go putting words in my mouth, Malfoy. You're even more arrogant when soaked in alcohol and let me tell you, it isn't pretty.'

Draco dropped his head. 'Sorry.'

'Just… just get to bed.'

Draco silently complied. He was very tired, his eyelids were starting to feel heavy and his head throbbed faintly. After stripping off to his boxers he crawled under the covers. Seamus turned off the lights and slipped in beside him. Draco was nearly asleep instantly but he still felt Seamus settle beside him and wrap an arm over his waist. It was as if they were resting on the edge of a canyon and Seamus was fearful of falling.

* * *

><p>The next morning a knocking at the door awakened Draco and Seamus. 'Uh, Seamus?' Neville's voice called from the hallway. 'Are you awake? I've got tea.' Seamus sat bolt upright while Draco pushed himself up on his elbows. His eyes grew wide as he took in the pastel duvet and floral wallpaper. Where in the world was he? It took a moment for him to realise he was at Neville's, and then his memory of the previous night's events came rushing back.<p>

'Just a moment, Neville!' Seamus called back. He turned to Draco. 'Hide,' he whispered. Draco frantically tried to disentangle himself from the sheets. He managed to stand up but, taking a step towards the closet, he tripped and fell with a crash to the floor. Seamus jumped out of bed but couldn't get to the door in time to save Draco from discovery. Seamus cringed as the door swung open.

'Are you ok…?' Neville's voice trailed off as he laid eyes on Draco lying on the floor and Seamus with his hands running through his messy hair. The cup of tea in his hands began to shake. 'Oh, my…'

'Neville, I can explain,' Seamus said quickly, rushing forward and closing the door.

'I-I think you better had.'

Seamus glanced to Draco, who had gotten to his feet and was now pulling on his trousers. 'I think I've got to just tell him,' he said to Draco.

Draco swallowed hard but nodded. 'Probably a bit late to cover our backs now,' he replied.

Seamus turned back to Neville. 'Draco and I, well, it's complicated. We've been spending a lot of time at Harry's after the pub I worked in burnt down, like I said last night. Well, what I didn't tell you was that we almost hooked up but, uh… Well, long story short, Draco turned up here last night a tad drunk, so I let him sleep in here with me. So yeah, I hook up with guys sometimes – and Draco's gay, imagine that.' Seamus took the tea from Neville's hands as it started to slosh onto the carpet. 'Surprise,' he added weakly.

Neville dropped his gaze to the floor. 'I might need some time to think about this,' he said. 'But, uh, _he_ can't be here. My grandmother will go spare if she finds him. She'll kill all three of us.'

'I'll send him back to Harry's, don't worry. Why don't you go put this away, nearly half of it's gone.' He handed the cup back to Neville.

'Ok, yeah, I'll go do that.'

Neville shuffled out of the door, still unable to look at Draco. Draco moved towards Seamus. 'About last night…'

'You were drunk, I know. It's ok, we all say silly things when drunk.'

'I thought you said silly things all the time?' Draco tried a friendly smile. Seamus didn't look impressed. 'Come on, Finnigan, can't you take a joke? I'm trying to lighten the mood. Look, whatever I told you last night, it's probably true. To be honest I don't remember all of it. But I do really like you. As crazy as it sounds, I want to be around you more than anyone I've ever met before.'

'Really?'

'Merlin! Do you think I'd spill my guts out to you like that and then turn around and say it's all a lie?'

'I suppose not. I just didn't expect to hear any of that.'

'Please tell me you feel the same way or else I'll feel like a complete fool for eternity.'

Seamus shrugged. 'You're ok,' he said, but the grin that emerged on his face showed his true feelings. 'I guess I overacted when I left Harry's. I thought you were going back on your apologies about how you used to treat us and were saying that I wasn't good enough for you. I guess I was wrong.'

'Yeah, you were. You haven't answered my question though. I really like you. So do you feel the same way about me?'

'You're the opposite of what I've always thought I'd want, but to be honest, I really like you too. At Harry's I don't know why I said we could just have fun, it's not what I wanted. I guess I thought you were only into me because of the alcohol.' Seamus rubbed the back of his neck. 'Wait, you do want to go out with me, right?'

Draco thought back to the hours of overthinking he'd done concerning his sexuality and Seamus recently. ' Yeah, I do. With my family wanting to marry me off at eighteen I always looked down on the idea of hook-ups, I suppose. I thought you weren't into relationships though, if that guy from the pub was anything to go by.'

'I may be a bit of whore when I'm single, but that doesn't mean I can't do committed when I find the right person. I'd like to try us out.'

'Really?'

Seamus laughed. 'Ok, I know I do like to joke around but I'm being serious right now.'

Draco's heart fluttered in chest and a broad smile appeared on his face. While part of him was wondering how he and Seamus could ever be boyfriends, the thought of trying it out was the best in the world. 'Good,' he said, trying to retain his usual nonchalant air, yet failing miserably.

'Come here,' Seamus said, stepping forward and wrapping his arms around Draco's neck. He placed his lips gently on Draco's. Draco let his hands fall to Seamus's hips. The kiss was short but filled Draco with the same intense rush of feelings as their first kiss had. He pulled back and looked into Seamus's eyes. And then his happy world seemed to come crashing down. The midlands.

'Oh, Merlin,' Draco groaned. 'Did we both just forget I'm being sent to the midlands with my mother?'

Seamus's own smile faded. 'Well, can't we just ask Harry to let you stay?'

Draco wrapped his arms further around Seamus and placed his head on the boy's shoulder. 'I don't think so. They think it'll be more practical for us to be in one of the Ministry's safe houses.'

'Well, it won't be forever. They'll catch the Death Eaters eventually. When you come back I'll be here and we can try this out, unless you've realised how bad of a match we are for each other. Why don't I come back to Harry's tonight? I'll probably be moving back anyway, Neville's grandmother is crazy.'

Draco chuckled into Seamus's neck, then softly kissed the exposed skin. 'Ok,' he whispered.

Neville returned with Betsy, knocking on the door before entering. His return forced Draco and Seamus apart in order to avoid making the situation even more awkward. However, Seamus stopped the elf when she shuffled over to Draco and tried to take his hand. 'I'll take him,' Seamus said. 'I'm going back to Harry's, Neville. Thanks for letting me stay, mate, but we've had a reconciliation.'

'Oh, ok.'

'You're ok about us, aren't you, Neville? I know it's a shock.'

Neville nodded. 'Yeah, it's just a bit odd. I mean, not odd, but… well, quite odd. Uh, you're still my mate. Malfoy is, uh, I guess he must be ok.'

'Thanks for that glowing compliment, Longbottom.'

Neville glanced at Draco but focused his attention on Seamus. 'You'd better apparate from the garden. If you do it in here my grandmother's bound to hear, she's got ears like a bat.'

'And how do you propose we get to the garden?' Draco asked.

'That won't be a problem, she's blind as a badger.'

Once Seamus had thrown on some clothes and packed his bag, Neville showed them through the house and into the garden. Clouds hung in the sky but patches of blue were visible. The air was cool and fresh, perfumed by the large arrange of flowers growing around the house. 'Tell your gran thanks from me,' Seamus said to Neville.

Neville smiled. 'Will do. It was nice seeing you.' He nodded at Draco before returning to the house. Seamus took Draco's hand, smiling up at the taller boy as he did so. He was about to apparate them to Grimmauld Place but felt something sharp hit him from the side, a powerful force that threw him a good couple of metres down the path.

He landed with a thud on the gravel, grazing his hands. Slowly, he sat up, his vision spinning. What in the world had that been? A flash of black caught his attention, and then another, followed by sparks of red and blue light in the sky. Draco had his wand raised. Oh, Mother Mary, Seamus thought. He jumped to his feet and joined Draco, ignoring the pain in his hands and head, shooting counter-curses at the two Death Eaters.

'Neville!' Seamus shouted. It seemed like an eternity until Neville appeared beside Seamus, his own wand raised, but in reality is was only a few moments.

'My gran's sending an emergency message to the Ministry,' he said between shooting spells at their attackers. 'Malfoy, you should disapparate, they're after you, aren't they?'

Draco gritted his teeth. 'I can't,' he hissed. 'Never got enough training with the war going on. I'm not leaving anyway. Who's to say they'd leave you alone if I left?'

Despite being outnumbered, the Death Eaters were surprisingly quick and held off the three boys' attack easily. In fact, as they had the element of surprise, their spells were mostly offensive whereas the boys were simply defending themselves. Occasionally one managed to slip in a curse or hex, but none did any damage. Where were the aurors?

Draco was becoming increasingly worried as the shock of the Death Eater's arrival wore off. Not only were they struggling to defend themselves, if either of them slipped up, Neville or Seamus to be specific, they would most likely be seriously injured. The Death Eaters had only come for Draco, nobody else. Draco knew they didn't show sympathy towards those who hindered their plans.

Finally the cracking sound of aurors appearing around the garden filled the air, taking all three boys by surprise. There were too many to count, it seemed as if the Ministry's entire staff were standing in Neville's garden.

Seamus turned his head and took a split second too long to return his focus on the Death Eaters. A jet of red light hit him in the middle of his chest, shooting him backwards. Draco yelped at the sight of Seamus's limp body and ran towards him. Neville shouted an anti-disapparation charm before following Draco, leaving the group of aurors to battle the Death Eaters.

Neville joined Draco beside the Seamus. 'Is he ok?' Neville asked.

'He's breathing,' Draco said quietly. His own breath was ragged after the unexpected fight. 'I think it might have only been a stunning charm.' He took one of Seamus's hands, wishing he could do something to help. However, it would be safer for one of the aurors to check him over rather than casting any charms to try and bring him back to consciousness.

Draco and Neville looked back as multiple cracking noises filled the air. Aurors had the Death Eaters bound and were disapparating with them. 'Quick thinking with the anti-disapparation charm, Longbottom.'

Neville met Draco's eye. 'Thanks.'

A familiar face hurried over to them. 'How is he?' Kingsley asked, crouching down next to Seamus.

'I think they stupefied him. Can you make sure?'

Kingsley checked Seamus's pulse and breathing. 'His vitals seem fine. Better get him to St Mungo's though, I'm not a healer and he did take a nasty fall backwards.'

Neville grabbed Seamus's bag that had been chucked to one side and threw it to Draco. Draco slipped it over his shoulder and took a hold of Kingsley's upper arm, the auror now having Seamus's unmoving body cradled in his arms. Draco gave Neville one last nod. The action was returned, which Draco found oddly comforting for his frazzled nerves. And then his stomach lurched and they were spinning through space towards the hospital.

Draco paid the other witches and wizards in the hospital's waiting room little attention. His mind was buzzing even after he'd been to see his mother in her own room, explaining that the Death Eaters had been caught and 'forgetting' to mention that fact that he had been involved.

Now what was on Draco's mind was Seamus. While his injury had only been mild, it could have been far worse. The thought sent shivers down Draco's spine. He reminded himself that Seamus was ok, that soon they would be going back to Harry's _together. _He supposed he would be moving back home now that the Death Eaters had been caught. At least there would be no midlands. Maybe things had worked out for the best this time round? Draco doubted how true that could be. It seemed that life often had a way of messing things up just after he'd thought they were going to be ok.

The form of Kingsley marched up to Draco's side. As he noticed the auror frowning down at him, Draco swallowed hard. When Kingsley dropped off Seamus he had said he would be back to speak to Draco. This wasn't going to be good.

'Mind if I have a word, Mr Malfoy?'

Draco knew there was no point trying to avoid the conversation. He picked up Seamus's bag and followed Kingsley down the hall towards the entranceway of the hospital, out of earshot of those witches and wizards in the waiting room.

'Would you care to explain what you were doing outside of Harry's house?'

'I made a mistake. It was foolish, I know. I'm sorry.'

'You could have got yourself killed. All the work the Ministry has put into protecting you would have been wasted.' Kingsley's voice had risen quickly in volume. He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, rubbing his temples. 'The Death Eaters have been captured and no one has been greatly injured, that's the important thing. Now, your mother is due to be released tomorrow, then you two can move back to your own residence. We shall send someone around to help fix up the worst of the damage to the house.'

'That's very much appreciated.'

'I'll take you back to Harry's now, if you would like.'

Draco dropped his eyes to the floor. 'Could I wait?'

'For Mr Finnigan?' Kingsley shrugged. 'That's fine by me. I suppose he shouldn't be much longer. I'll go and talk through the formalities with your mother. Don't worry,' Kingsley added at the worried expression that appeared on Draco's face. 'There are some aspects I'll gloss over.'

Draco managed a weak smile. 'Thanks.'

When Kingsley left Draco returned to the waiting room. Only a couple of minutes later Seamus wandered out of the emergency ward. Draco jumped up to meet him. He had to resist the urge to wrap his arms around Seamus, knowing it would be a very strange sight indeed, the former Death Eater and son of Lucius Malfoy embracing another boy.

'How are you?'

'Not bad,' Seamus replied. 'Can't remember exactly what happened though. I'm guessing it went ok, seeing as you're here and not being tortured in some basement or wherever.'

'Very true.' Draco ignored the visions Seamus's words created in his mind. 'The aurors caught the Death Eaters. I'm free to go home.'

Seamus's face dropped slightly. 'You're leaving Harry's?'

'I can't exactly stay any longer, can I? But I'm not leaving until tomorrow.'

Seamus smiled. 'We'd better get back then. There's not much time for us to get caught up.'

* * *

><p>Harry and Ron raced into the hallway when Draco and Seamus arrived. Harry spoke before either Draco or Seamus could ask why they weren't at auror training. 'Where did you go?' he asked Draco. 'We were sent home early from the ministry because all hell broke loose, something to do with the Death Eaters having come out of hiding again. When we got home you weren't here and we got worried.'<p>

Ron muttered something incomprehensible. Harry rolled his eyes. 'Well, I was worried. What happened?'

'I felt bad after our argument and made Kreacher take me to apologise. Bad move. The Death Eaters found out where I was – Merlin knows how. Anyway, they've been caught. My mother's being released from St Mungo's tomorrow and I'll be out of your hair by tomorrow night.'

Both Harry's and Ron's eyebrows rose in surprise at this rapid turn of events. 'Well, that's…' Harry started but Seamus interrupted.

'I'm coming back to stay a while longer, if that's ok, Harry. This week I'll find myself a new job, I promise.'

Harry shook his head with a smile. 'Don't even worry about it. There's more than enough room here for you.'

'I need to start packing away my things,' Draco said, wanting to get himself and Seamus alone again. He made for the stairs and Seamus followed.

On the way upstairs Seamus chucked his bag into his room, checked that Harry or Ron wasn't following them, and then continued to the third floor where Draco's room was. Draco quietly closed the door behind them and turned to find Seamus already sitting on the bed. He raised an eyebrow. 'Are you sure that's the best place to talk, Finnigan?'

Seamus smiled. 'Do you think you'll ever call me Seamus?'

Draco frowned slightly. It was so natural to use Seamus's surname that he hadn't thought about switching, even as they became closer. He shrugged. 'If you'll ever call me Draco.'

'I think it would be a good idea. Out with the old and in with the new, you know?'

Draco nodded. 'Good point. Well then, are you sure that's the best place to talk, _Seamus_?'

'Probably not, _Draco_. But maybe I don't want to talk.'

Draco bit his lip. He didn't want to talk either. All he wanted to do was throw himself on Seamus, if he were honest. But he knew that if they didn't get the talking over with first they might never do it. 'No, we need to talk,' Draco said. He sat down beside Seamus, making sure to leave space between them. 'Now that I'm going home tomorrow, I'm wondering how we're supposed to, well, do this?'

Seamus shrugged. 'Just like any relationship. You'll take me out to fancy restaurants and buy me expensive gifts until I fall in love with you, then you'll invite me round to your mansion and have your wicked way with me.'

Draco let out a burst of laughter. 'Oh, Merlin, you've got this all planned out, haven't you? Got some high expectations too.'

Seamus grinned. 'Only the best for me.'

'Come on, I'm being serious.'

'So am I, kind of. We'll just see each other when we can. When I find my own place again you can come and stay with me sometimes. And if this really works out then I suppose I'll have to tell my mates, especially Dean. My family, I don't know what to think about them… I never thought I'd end up here with a guy.' Seamus bit his lip. 'Why don't we just deal with all that stuff when it comes up?'

Draco supposed some things really didn't benefit from too much planning. He nodded agreement. 'I like the sound of that.'

'Besides, that's all pretty serious and we're still getting to know each other if you think about it. And you know, there's one part of you I really want to get to know right now.'

'Oh yeah? What's that?'

Seamus turned towards Draco and smirked. He brought a hand up to the nape of Draco's neck and pulled him gently forward. When they were barely inches away from each other, Seamus whispered, 'This.' He placed his lips on Draco's, to which Draco eagerly responded, and they let the rest of the world fall away.


End file.
